In the Beginning
by Jenn0615
Summary: What happens when you fall in love with your best friend? Follow Brooke and Nathan in their lives as they fall in love and see what happens! Major Brathan! Also Laley and Peyton/Tim
1. 1:I just call myself his wife!

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks to those who reviewed "Things People Say." This is my second story. Right now it's titled "In the Beginning." But I might change the name. If anyone can think of a better name, let me know! Please read and review, it really means a lot!**

I was there in the beginning. Before anyone knew who he was. Before he even knew who he was. I saw the little boy he was. I saw the teenager he became. And I still see the young man he turned into.

My name is Brooke Davis and I'm Nathan Scott's best friend.

Well, at least I used to be. I guess now I have a few other names. Some would call me his confidant. His love. The mother of his two children. I just call myself his wife.

It took us a while to get to this place. The place where both of us can say with absolute certainty that we're happy. It wasn't always that easy. Or that happy for the matter.

It was a long, winding road of heartache and betrayal, but….Well, maybe I should start at the beginning.

So I know I said my name is Brooke Davis. But really it's Brooke Scott.

You know, I always thought I would end up being married to a Scott brother. Of course, back in high school, I always thought it would be Lucas. I never did in my wildest dreams think Haley and I would trade places. After high school, she became Mrs. Lucas Scott and I became Mrs. Nathan Scott.

And to think, even after all the drama we went through, we're all the best of friends still!

**A/N: So I know it was kind of short! Sorry about that but it is just an introduction chapter. Next chapter should be much longer!**


	2. 2:Haley, you

**A/N: Okay here it is! The 2****nd**** chapter! But there are a few things I need to point out before I get to the chapter. Everything from Season 1 to early Season 4 has happened EXCEPT:**

**1. Nathan and Haley's second wedding and the limo accident afterwards. Oh and their annulment in season 1 did go through, they just live together.**

**2. Peyton kissing and telling Lucas she loved him during the school shooting.**

**3. Peyton telling Brooke she was in love with Lucas and Brooke breaking up with Lucas.**

**4. Nathan borrowing money from Daunte and Haley getting run over by Daunte.**

**5. Anything to do with Psycho Derek and Peyton. Meaning, they never even met!**

**6. Lucas never wrote his novel.**

**Okay sorry about that! Just needed to clear those things up! Anyways, thanks to everyone that reviewed the intro! That's what keeps me going so keep those reviews coming! And special thanks to Morgan! You have no idea how much you helped me with this chapter!!!! It's now going to start when they're back in high school.**

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Everyone had just left the cemetery. Everyone except Lucas and Brooke. Lucas just stood still, staring at Keith's fresh grave. He still couldn't comprehend how this happened. How could his childhood friend shoot his uncle? The uncle that meant so much to them as kids. He didn't know how to act, what to say, how to feel. All he knew was that Keith was gone and it was all his fault.

"Luke, we need to go. Your mom is expecting you to be at the house by now," Brooke said quietly as she grabbed his hand, trying not to notice when he flinched at her touch. She knew this was hard on him. It was hard on everyone.

"No, you go on. I can't leave him," Luke mumbled as Brooke looked up at him to see fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. "Lucas, you can't just stay out here. Come on, I'll drive you home."

"Just go Brooke! Leave me alone!" Lucas shouted as she jumped back and let go of his hand. "Hey, I know it hurts, but you can't shut everyone out. You need to talk to me!" Brooke pleaded as he finally lifted his head to look at her. When she met his gaze, she didn't see the eyes of the man she loved. Instead, she saw the cold, distant eyes of someone that just went through a terrible tragedy.

Lucas held Brooke's gaze for a few seconds before looking down at the grave again, whispering, "Leave me alone." Brooke didn't even bother trying to say anything. She just turned around and walked out of the cemetery.

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_At Karen's house_

Brooke pulled up to the curb outside of the house and let herself cry for a few seconds before wiping her eyes and walking in the house. As soon as she walked in the front door, she was face to face with Peyton, Nathan, and Haley.

"Hey you, how's the leg?" Brooke quietly asked Peyton as she saw her standing with the help of crutches. "Oh, it'll be okay! How's the boy?" Peyton asked back. Brooke looked at the three of them for a moment with a sad smile before she answered, "I wish I could say the same. But he's far from okay.

"I just don't know what to do anymore. He won't talk to anyone, he won't eat. He wouldn't even leave the cemetery. He yelled at me to leave him there! He's closing everyone out and it's not good for him!" Brooke cried.

"Brooke, it's gonna be okay!" Haley assured her as she gave her a quick hug," This is just how Lucas is. I know him and he's gonna…."

"Wait that's perfect! Haley, you're his best friend! You know him! If anyone can get through to him, it's you!" Brooke interrupted. "I don't know Brooke. Lucas tends to like to keep things bottled up," Peyton pointed out. "No, Haley, you have to! Please? No one else can get through to him! Can't you just try?" Brooke begged with her pouty look.

"Fine! But I'm taking your car! Gimme your keys!" Haley mumbled with a small smile as Brooke handed over her car keys. She gave Nathan and quick kiss before heading over to the cemetery. One look could tell Haley that Lucas had already left, but she knew he didn't go home. There was only one other place she knew to look for him.

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"I thought I'd find you here," Haley called out as she stepped onto the roof of the café. Lucas was just standing by the edge with a piece of paper in his hands. He didn't even bother turning around, just waited until she was next to him to hand her the paper he had.

"Here, I'm taking my predictions back. Not gonna come true now anyway, not without Keith." "Luke…" Haley started before he interrupted her. "My mom thinks that this was my fault!" "She would not say that!" Haley exclaimed with a shocked look on her face.

"Yeah, she pretty much did! I shouldn't have gone back into that school," Lucas whispered. "She's wrong! Luke, Keith would have gone into that school whether you were in there or not, because that is who he was. This is not your fault!" she said as she wiped away one of his tears before continuing," You did what he did Luke! You went back in there to save a life; otherwise we might have been at Peyton's funeral!

"He loved you a lot Luke, just like we do. And so does Brooke. You think none of your predictions are gonna come true? Look at the first one on your list. 'This year, I'll try again with Brooke.'"

"It doesn't even matter anymore Hales! Without Keith, nothing matters! Besides, I don't even know what to say to Brooke. She just looks at me with pity in her eyes and I really don't want that!" Lucas said as Haley stood up to put their box of predictions back in the wall. She walked back over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"She doesn't look at me the way you do. No one does," he whispered in her ear. Haley leaned back and gave him a questioning look right before he pressed his lips to hers.

"Lucas," Haley whispered," You shouldn't have done that." "I wanted to," he whispered back. She looked at him for a second before throwing her arms back around his neck and crashing her lips against his.

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_Back at Karen's_

"So everyone has gone home and all the dishes are done and Karen is now resting in bed. What do you say we go grab some food Brookie?" Nathan asked her as he dried his hands on a dish towel. The two of them had acted as the hosts for the wake since Karen was inconsolable and Lucas was MIA.

"I dunno Nate. I think I should wait for Luke to get home," Brooke answered. "Brooke, he's with Haley. He'll be okay. Come on, let's go eat. And don't think I didn't notice you not eat all day!" Nathan laughed as they walked outside to his car and headed for the pizza joint in town.

_Two Hours Later: _

"Who would have though Brooke David was this good at pinball?" Nathan laughed as she won the fifth game in a row. "One of my many secrets!" she said with a grin. They had been at the pizza place for a while now, and thanks to Brooke's flirting and charm, talked the guy at the counter into serving them beer even though they are underage. Now, after two meat lover's pizza, five games of pinball, three games of air hockey, and eight beers each, they were both on their way to being very drunk.

"Oh, you mean like your secrets of how you got so good at air hockey too! Or maybe how you can eat more pizza than me and still look that good?" Nathan asked with his famous smirk on his face. "At least someone thinks I look good," Brooke muttered as she sauntered back to their table to refill her beer from the pitcher.

Nathan couldn't help but watch Brooke as she walked, wondering what that comment was supposed to mean. He also couldn't help but notice how good Brooke really did look. She was still in her dress she wore to the funeral, but had ditched her black heels she was wearing, now walking around in plain black flip flops, her hair was up in a messy bun, and all of her makeup was nearly gone due to crying.

But Nathan could swear he had never seen anyone look more beautiful than she did at that very moment. Of course, he couldn't' admit that to anyone. He was with Haley. And Brooke was with his brother. End of story right?

Maybe not….

**A/N: Okay there it is! What do you think? Like it? Hate it? Review and let me know! Oh and I forgot to say this earlier….I don't own OTH or their characters!!!!**


	3. 3:How did she get here?

**A/N: Third Chapter!!! So thank you to everyone that reviewed! You're the reason I'm trying to get the chapters done and updated so quickly! So keep it coming! I should be able to get another chapter out by the weekend. And I wanted to let everyone know that I also have a story up on called "I Was Made For You." If you get a chance, check it out for me! Thanks!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of the characters!**

**Flashbacks are in **_**Italics.**_

* * *

One Week Later:

Nathan had just stepped out of the shower when he heard Haley calling for him. "Nate! I'm leaving!" she shouted. Nathan quickly threw on a pair of basketball shorts and walked into the living room with a questioning look on his face.

"Where are you going?" "Luke's," Haley simply replied. "Hales! You've been there day and night since the funeral. I've hardly seen you all week!" Nathan complained. Haley rolled her eyes while walking up to him. "He just lost Keith Nate! Look, I know you were never close to Keith, but Lucas was. He just lost the man who raised him. He needs me!" she explained, a few tears forming in her eyes.

"Besides, I was pretty close to Keith too. Maybe you don't understand, but I need my friend too!"

Nathan hugged Haley close and said, "You're right! I'm sorry Hales. But will you actually come home tonight? I don't like sleeping alone," Nathan mumbled as she grabbed her purse. "I'll try my best to come cuddle with you!" Haley laughed as she walked out the door.

Nathan decided to settle down on the couch and play some NBA Live. Right before he started, the door opened and slammed shut. He turned around to see Brooke and Peyton there.

"Hey there Natey!" Peyton smiled, taking a seat next to him. "Hey. What are yall doing here?" he asked. Peyton just roller her eyes and pointed to Brooke who was still standing in the doorway.

"Oh no P. Sawyer! Don't blame this one on me! Blame it on my stupid boyfriend! He takes grieving to a whole new level!" she said all in one breath. Before Nathan could protest, Brooke grabbed the ice cream carton from the freezer and pulled a spoon from the drawer before digging in. Nathan just looked at Peyton for some sort of explanation.

"Okay, short version or long version?" she asked with a smirk on her face. "Preferably short."

"Okay, Lucas is very torn up about Keith and still won't let Brooke in. The only person that can get through to him is Haley. Who, I'm sure you know, has been spending every waking moment with Luke. Hence, Brooke is very upset and frustrated," Peyton explained as best she could.

"Don't forget very horny!" Brooke yelled from the kitchen, getting a few laughs out of Peyton and Nathan. "Okay, Brooke, I gave you a ride over here. But I have to get back home. My dad should be there any minute and I really want to see him!" Peyton told her as Brooke perked up a little.

"Oh, Papa Peyton! I may just have to stop by later! He might be able to help me with my little problem!" Brooke snickered. Peyton gave her a look of disgust and added, "Brooke! That's my dad! You're gross! I'm leaving."

Brooke decided she had eaten enough ice cream and put it up. Walking over to the couch, she asked, "Natey, what are you doing?"

"Playing Xbox Brookie! What's it look like?" He smirked. "Can I play?" Brooke asked as she sat down next to him. Nathan saved the game he was playing and started a two player game while Brooke grabbed the other controller off the coffee table.

* * *

One Hour Later:

"Brooke! Is there anything you're not good at?" Nathan laughed as Brooke beat him at the fourth game they played. "Not really! Okay, I'm bored of this! Let's do something fun!" she exclaimed, turning to face him.

Nathan turned his head and looked at Brooke. Neither of them said anything, just stared in each other's eyes. They both started leaning closer together. Just before their lips touched, Brooke jumped off the couch.

"You know what? I think I'm going to go see Papa Peyton. Bye!" she said quickly, almost running out of the apartment.

As soon as Brooke got into her car, she took a deep breath and leaned her head against the steering wheel. How did she get here? Just a couple hours ago, she was pleading with her boyfriend to let her in. Now she was almost kissing his brother? She didn't understand it. The fight between her and Lucas kept replaying in her head, like a reminder of how much she loved him.

_Flashback:_

_Lucas had only arrived at Peyton's house to see Brooke twenty minutes earlier. Since then, Brooke had been trying to get him to talk about Keith and the good memories he had shared with the man. Finally, Lucas was beginning to get fed up and decided to leave. Before he made it to the front door, Brooke grabbed his arm to stop him._

"_Lucas, please stay," she whispered as he turned around to look at her. "I can't Brooke. It's not right. You wouldn't understand, you weren't there!" he said, turning back around to try to leave again. "Hey!" Brooke shouted to stop him before continuing,_

"_I may not have been inside that school, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't there. It doesn't mean that I don't carry that day around with me like everybody else!' she told him. For a brief moment, it looked like Lucas was softening up and going to talk to her. _

"_I'm sorry Brooke, I know you're trying to help me through this, and I love you for it, but I…I just can't," he spoke quietly before turning around and leaving. _

_As soon as he left, Brooke stormed upstairs to Peyton's room and flung herself on her bed. "Aw, B. Davis, did you not get any?" Peyton joked as Brooke flipped her off, not even showing a smile._

"_Okay, I understand that he was stuck in that school and I wasn't. And I understand he just lost his uncle. And I even understand how hard this is for him. But I can not understand why he can't talk to me! P he can hardly even look at me!" Brooke cried. Peyton left her spot at her computer desk and sat down on the bed next to Brooke._

"_Look, I kind of heard your little fight yall just had," Peyton said as Brooke glared at her,_

"_What? The window was open; it was hard to not hear you! Anyways, not the point. The point is, he's really hurting Brooke. And I'm not trying to be rude by saying this, but you've never really lost anyone that close to you before. So it is harder for you to understand why he's closing himself off. Maybe you can get Haley to talk to him again. I mean, she was close to Keith too. Maybe that will help."_

"_Yeah, maybe," Brooke pouted as Peyton chuckled. "Come on; let's go over to Naley's place. You can talk to Haley about it, and I can get out of the house! I'm going crazy waiting for my dad to finally come home!" Peyton laughed as Brooke reluctantly stood up and headed downstairs._

_End Flashback_

Brooke opened her eyes and glanced back up to Nathan and Haley's apartment. Before she could start having second thoughts about leaving, she put the car in gear and sped towards Peyton's house. Trying to rid her thoughts of almost kissing Nathan, she turned the volume up on he radio and bobbed her head to the music.

* * *

At Lucas' House:

Haley was currently lying in Lucas' bed, snuggled in his arms with nothing covering her but a sheet. Karen was at the café for the day and both the inside and outside doors to his room was locked so no one could walk in unexpectedly.

She lay there contemplating their current situation. How did she get here? Just a couple hours ago, she was at home listening to her ex-husband/current boyfriend sing off key in the shower. Completely happy, thinking the kiss her and Lucas had shared was a mistake. And now she was naked in her best friend's bed?

"Luke, I think we need to talk," Haley said quietly. "Shh, don't speak, you'll ruin it!" Lucas smiled as he tightened his arms around her for a second and placed a loving kiss on her temple.

"But that's the thing Lucas! We have ruined it already! We've both cheated on Nathan and Brooke. And our friendship is probably shot to hell now!" Haley argued," I mean, I get that you're upset and lonely. But what were we thinking? Ruining our friendship because we were both sad and vulnerable?"

"Hales, do you really think I would risk our friendship just because I wanted to get laid? I could have done that with Brooke! This is so much more and I can't believe I never saw it before!" Lucas told her, turning her to face him, "You can't tell me you don't feel it too! I know you do! People don't have that kind of passion if they don't feel anything."

"Luke, I can't say I don't feel something for you. I just don't know if it's enough to risk my entire relationship with Nathan. Especially after everything we have been through to get where we are now. I don't think this should happen again," Haley explained, getting up to start putting her clothes on.

Lucas sat up in his bed and watched her get dressed. He took in the sight of her and realized for the first time how beautiful she was. He saw everything about her. Her hair put up in a messy bun. Her face void of any makeup. She was beautiful. And he had to have her.

He knew what they were doing was wrong. But he couldn't help himself. Ever since the other night on the roof of the café, he couldn't stop thinking about Haley. The way she would look at him like he was the only person in the room.

Haley had finished getting dressed and reached for her purse that was on the floor next to the bed. As she bent down to grab it, Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down to sit in front of him.

"Don't go Hales. Please," he whispered in her ear before kissing her neck. Haley closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling for a moment. Before she could protest, Lucas turned her face towards his, looked into her eyes, and said, "You are what I never knew I wanted. Please stay."

The only thing Haley could do was kiss him. Every thought of how wrong this was vanished. The only thought in her mind was that she was falling in love with her best friend.

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**A/N: Okay there it is! Please read and review! Thanks!**


	4. 4:What

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm sooo sorry for waiting to update! School has been crazy busy lately! But the semester is coming to an end so maybe it'll get a little better for me! I doubt it but I can hope! Oh and there will be a pregnancy at some point in this story. So if anyone has any good names, boy or girl, send me a message or put it in a review and let me know! It takes me forever to come up with good names so I thought I would ask your opinion! Thanks! And just a warning, there is a slight sex scene in this chapter. Nothing too graphic, but if you don't want to read, then please just skip over.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill!**

* * *

As the days passed, Brooke found herself spending more and more time with just Peyton and Nathan. In a way, it almost felt like before. Before Lucas had joined the team. Before Nathan and Haley had gotten married and divorced.

Lucas still wouldn't talk to Brooke. She had seen him maybe five times out of school in the month since Keith passed. Every time she tried to talk to him or see him, he always had plans with Haley. Or he had to work. Or he had practice. Or he had too much homework. The only times she did see him out of school, were when Haley would drag him out to meet everyone. And even then, he could hardly look at her.

Brooke didn't know what to do anymore. A part of her felt like she should just officially break things off with him. It wasn't like they had any type of relationship anymore anyways. She hadn't even kissed him since the day of the funeral. The closest she had come to a kiss was when she almost kissed Nathan a couple weeks ago.

The other thing that was weighing heavily on Brooke's mind the past couple weeks was Nathan. She couldn't believe she was even thinking like this! He was Nathan Scott. The boy she had known since she was little. Her boyfriend's brother! She wasn't allowed to feel like this.

The sound of heels clicking on the pavement of the quad shook her out of her thoughts. Brooke looked up to see Haley walking towards her with a smile on her face. Brooke was almost jealous that Haley looked so happy.

"Hey Tigger! I haven't seen you in a couple days. How are you?" Haley asked, sitting down at the table with Brooke. Brooke suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at Haley's comment.

"Well, pretty bad actually! See, I had this dream that my boyfriend wouldn't talk to me. Couldn't even look at me when we're in the same room. Oh but wait, that wasn't a dream was it?" Brooke asked coldly.

"Brooke, it's not like that. Luke's just having a hard time with this. And as his girlfriend, you should be able to respect that!" Haley said quietly, trying to stay calm and not reveal the real reason why Lucas couldn't look at her.

"Respect that? Haley, all I've done is give him time and respect the fact that he lost his uncle. The other thing I've done is let you take up all his time. So excuse me if I'm a little upset and I miss my boyfriend!" Brooke said as she stood up and grabbed her bag.

"Oh and you might want to remember something. Nathan! Since you've been spending all your time with Lucas, my boyfriend, Nathan, your boyfriend, has been miserable! He almost feels like he's losing you to Luke. You might want to let him know you're still alive since you've hardly been home all month!" Brooke quietly shouted, walking away.

Brooke had no idea just how right she was though. Nathan really was losing Haley to Lucas. It's just no one knew that. It wasn't like Haley started this on purpose. Things just happen right? It wasn't her fault that she fell in love with her best friend.

Who was she kidding? It was completely her fault! She could have been a bigger person and walked away the first time something happened between her and Lucas. She just chose not to.

* * *

Later that day:

Brooke walked into Peyton's room and slammed down on the bed, making Peyton look up from her drawing. "What's wrong Brookie?" Peyton asked, setting her things aside, getting ready to deal with today's problem.

"Haley! She's just so….Ugh! She had the audacity today to tell me that I need to respect the fact that Lucas is having a hard time! Like I haven't been doing that! I have given him all the time in the world and respected that! I have watched him spend all his time with Haley and not said a word until today! You should have seen her face when I said that! You would have thought she actually felt guilty! Oh and I even reminded her that she has this thing at home called a boyfriend! That she might want to let him know that she's still alive since she doesn't even bother to go home anymore!" Brooke said.

"Brooke! You mentioned me?" Nathan whined, walking into Peyton's room and sitting down next to Brooke on the bed, "I told you not to do that!"

"Nathan! You're miserable and she needs to realize that!" Brooke defended. Nathan looked to Peyton for help who just shrugged her shoulders and went back to her drawing. The whole Lucas/Brooke and Nathan/Haley issues they were having was getting kind of old to her.

After thirty minutes or so of Nathan and Brooke going back and forth, Peyton had finally had enough. "Guys! Shut up! Seriously, if you really don't like them spending so much time together, maybe you should tell them yourselves instead of fighting about it! Now please, I need to get this done. So either be quiet, or go somewhere else!" Peyton yelled.

Brooke and Nathan immediately stopped talking and looked at each other. They had never seen Peyton yell like that since her and Nathan were together. Deciding it would be better to not say anything, the two of them slid out of the room quietly and down the stairs, heading for Nathan's car in the driveway.

"Where to?" Nathan asked as they sat in the car. "I have no idea! I just know I don't want to be in the house with Peyton when she is in that mood!" Brooke laughed, shaking her head. "Hey my mom is out of town. We could always go over there!" Nathan suggested.

"Why? I mean, you have your own apartment!" Brooke reminded him as he laughed slightly. "I mean for the hot tub! It's kind of chilly outside and we don't have anything else to do!"

"I didn't grab my swimsuit!" Brooke told him. "I think Peyton left one there back when we were dating. I'm sure you can wear that one!"

* * *

Deb's house:

Nathan had already turned the hot tub up to the right temperature and was sitting in it waiting on Brooke to come downstairs from changing. She stepped out the back door and walked towards the hot tub, a big beach towel covering her body from the chill. Stepping up on the deck the hot tub was situated on, she shed the towel, revealing the black bikini of Peyton's.

Nathan felt like he couldn't breathe when he saw her in that bikini. Peyton was a little smaller in the chest so the top was a little snug. But Nathan thought that only made it look better on Brooke. She slid into the hot tub and sat down next to him, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

"What are you staring at?" she asked with a smirk on her face, knowing exactly what he was looking at. "N..Nothing!' Nathan stammered.

"Nate, I want to thank you for being there lately. I mean, Lucas and Haley haven't been around and it's been hard on both of us. So thanks!" Brooke said, turning a little to look at him.

"It's not a big deal! Don't worry about it," Nathan mumbled, trying not to look at her. He couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to kiss her. He wasn't supposed to be thinking like this! She was Brooke Davis. The girl he had known since he was little and used to chase around the playground pulling her hair. She was his brother's girlfriend! He wasn't allowed to feel this way.

"Nate, what's wrong?" Brooke asked, scooting a little closer to him. It was taking everything inside of him to not look at her. "Nathan! You look seriously freaked out! What's going on?" Brooke demanded, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. As soon as his eyes locked on hers, they both knew what was about to happen.

Brooke inhaled sharply right before his lips crashed down onto hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she unconsciously straddled his lap, feeling his arousal on her thigh. That just turned her on even more. She pulled her lips from his, only to attack his neck, careful not to leave any marks.

As she started nibbling his earlobe, Nathan reached around her shoulders and untied the bikini top at her neck and then the lower tie. He gently pulled the top off of her and threw it aside, his hands already kneading her breasts. Brooke let out a moan and threw her head back, allowing him access to her neck. She had her arms around his neck still and was digging her nails into his back and his hands slid down to the bikini bottom, hooking his thumbs in the waist band.

Just before he pulled her bikini bottoms off, Nathan's cell phone, which was lying on the deck, started ringing, making them stop all actions. As soon as they pulled away from each other, it was like a light went off in both their heads and they realized what they were doing.

"I should probably get that," Nathan mumbled as Brooke nodded her head. She quickly slid off his lap and searched for her bikini top. Nathan, being the one that threw it, knew where it landed. As he reached for his cell phone, he grabbed her top and tossed it to her. She mouthed thanks as she hastily tied it around her.

"Hello?" Nathan answered, hearing Haley's cheerful voice on the other line, "Oh hey Hales. Huh? Oh nothing. Just stopped by my mom's house to grab some more of my things. Brooke? Yeah she's with me. We were at Peyton's but she kind of kicked us out. Why? Long story. Where are you?" he asked. After getting his answer, he rolled his eyes and mouthed Luke's to Brooke, who rolled her eyes as well.

"Oh you're coming home tonight? Yeah I'll be there! Okay, see you soon," Nathan hung up the phone and glanced at Brooke. She was already wrapped back in the beach towel and heading for the house to change. Nathan jogged to catch up to her and grabbed her arm to spin her around.

"Nathan, this was wrong," Brooke whispered. Nathan just shook his head and kissed her. Brooke braced her hands against his chest and pushed him as hard as she could.

"Nate, seriously! We can't do this," Brooke told him as he backed off. Before Nathan could even say anything else, Brooke walked into the house, changed her clothes, and left. Leaving Nathan to wonder what the hell just happened.

* * *

**A/N: So what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Let me know! Oh and big thanks to everyone reading this and reviewing!**


	5. AN IMPORTANT!

**A/N:** Hey everyone! This isn't Jenn, this is her friend Morgan, I'm Brucasfan23 on here. Jenn is having some personal problems in her family right now. They've just endured a death in the family. Please keep her and her family in your prayers and be respectful to the fact that she will not be able to update this story for about a week, maybe more. We all have had to go through this and it is a difficult time. She wanted me to inform all of you because she loves you all so much, and your reviews truly inspire her to continue writing. Thanks so much for your understanding! God bless. =)


	6. 5:I thought she

**A/N: First of all, I want to say thank you for everyone's thoughts and prayers. My grandpa passed away and I needed some time away to spend with my family. Everyone is doing a lot better now, so thank you! Second, thank you for all your reviews on the last chapter. I wasn't even planning on updating this soon. But the reviews made me so excited that I couldn't wait any longer! And big thanks to Morgan for helping me with this chapter and making me not feel self-conscious about my writing! I owe you a lot girl!**

**Also, I'm changing the rating on this story to either a T or an M for sex scenes. There is a sex scene in this chapter so just a warning!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!!**

* * *

Later that day:

Nathan sat in the kitchen of his apartment, watching Haley cook dinner, wondering what in the hell had happened at his mom's house. He couldn't, for the life of him, get Brooke out of his head. Sure, he had been with his fair share of girls. But no one had ever kissed him like that. Not even Haley!

Speaking of Haley, "Nathan, I thought you said you were picking up some more of your stuff at your mom's house?" "I forgot all about it! After you called, all I could think about was getting home to the girlfriend I haven't seen in days!" Nathan lied, walking around the island to wrap his arms around her waist, "I missed you!"

Haley tried not to openly cringe as Nathan laid soft kisses on her neck and collarbone. She couldn't help but feel guilty for what she was doing to him. She loved him. Truly, she did. But she also loved his brother. Before Nathan went any further, she had to stop him.

"Nate, honey, can you start making the salad for me please?" she asked as he pulled away from her confused. Haley never before could resist him when he would kiss her neck. That was odd.

Nathan decided to let it go and do what she asked of him. As he started gathering the ingredients for the salad, he asked, "So how's Luke?"

Haley froze for a moment, not knowing what to say. She never was good at lying. Oh well, she'd have to learn!

"It's getting easier for him. He's finally accepting that Keith is gone. Now he's just angry," she replied, not daring to turn and look at him as she stirred the pasta. That wasn't so bad was it?

As they finished eating and were carrying the dishes to the sink, Haley's cell phone rang. The words to "I'll be there for you," from the Friends soundtrack, sang quietly, letting them both know it was Lucas calling.

"I should probably get that. I'll be right back," Haley mumbled, grabbing her cell phone and walking outside to answer it. After about five minutes, she came back in to find Nathan already halfway through with the dishes. She had never in her life felt guiltier than she did now.

"Hey Nathan, that was Luke. He's having a rough night. So, I'm going to head over there for a while. I'm not sure if I'll be back tonight," Haley told him as Nathan stopped what he was doing and turned to face her."Hales, Lucas is a big boy. I'm sure he can take care of himself. Can't you stay home for one night?" Nathan pleaded.

"Nathan, my best friend needs me! And as his brother, you should understand that!" Haley shot at him, grabbing her purse and jacket from the couch. "Can't he just call someone else? Peyton maybe? Lord knows she has enough experience in the death department!" Nathan shouted, getting angry.

"That was low, Nathan, even for you. I'm going to see Lucas. I'll be back tomorrow!" she mumbled angrily, slamming the door behind her as she left. Nathan stood at the sink, knowing that comment was very rude. Peyton was one of his best friends and he should have known better than to say something like that. He was there when Peyton's mom died, and when Ellie died. He and Brooke were the ones that sat underneath the bridge with her for hours on end while she cried. And then sat with her while she shut herself off from the rest of the world, drowning herself in her music and art. He never pretended to understand her art, just decided to be there for his best friend who was a constant in his life.

The other constant in his life had always been Brooke. They had grown up together since their parents ran in the same social circles. When there were parties, Nathan's parents would have him stay with Brooke and her nanny. They quickly became best friends at a young age. When they started high school, the pressure to be popular forced a strain on their friendship. It seemed like they were competing with each other half the time and being best friends the rest of the time.

When Peyton started at THHS in the middle of their freshman year, the three of them became the best of friends. Of course, Nathan and Peyton became a couple for a while. But Brooke never left his side. She was always there when he needed her. And he was always there when she needed him. He never thought in his wildest dreams that he would be feeling the way he was.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wasn't just feeling physical feelings towards Brooke. He knew it went deeper than that. Just didn't want to admit it. He could admit he did have physical feelings for her. Any guy that wasn't blind had physical feelings for her. They all wanted her. She was gorgeous. With her deep brown eyes and wavy brunette hair. And God those dimples! That alone could melt any man.

Nathan didn't know what or why he was feeling this way. All he knew was that he had to talk to her. He grabbed his phone off the kitchen counter and dialed her phone. It rang about five times before she finally picked up, filling his ears with her sweet voice.

"Nathan, I can't really talk right now. I'm at Peyton's," she said as she answered the phone.

"So? When has that ever stopped you?" he laughed, "Brooke, I really need to talk to you. Can I come by?"

"Peyton, I'll be right back," he heard Brooke say. He guessed she was stepping out of the room to talk. "Look Nate, I told you earlier that what happened was a mistake! Just leave it alone!" she warned. "Brooke, you're wrong! I know you felt it too!" he argued.

"No, you're wrong Nathan! I didn't feel anything! It was a stupid mistake! I love Lucas and I'm not going to do that to Haley either!" Brooke exclaimed. "Brookie, please! Just let me come over and see you! You can say you didn't feel anything but I know your eyes will tell a different story!" Brooke almost melted at his words. She had been best friends with Nathan for as long as she could remember and had never heard him talk like that.

"Don't you think Peyton would get suspicious? I mean, think about it Nate!" Brooke told him as he rolled his eyes. "Then I'll meet you somewhere! Please, I need to see you!"

"No, this isn't going to happen again! Drop it! I'm hanging up now!" Brooke shouted as she hung up the phone and stomped back into Peyton's room, throwing herself down on the bed. "What was that all about?" Peyton asked as Brooke just rolled her eyes.

"Nathan's being an ass, like normal!" Brooke complained. "What'd he do now?"

"Nothing really. I think I'm just getting annoyed that I spend more time with him and not Lucas!" Brooke lied. Thankfully, Peyton bought her lie and went back to what she was doing.

* * *

At Lucas' House:

Haley had gotten to Lucas' and barely had time to walk in his bedroom door before he attacked her lips. Giving into his kisses, she let herself escape into a world where she wasn't Nathan Scott's girlfriend. Where she could just be with Lucas and have no worries.

Of course, reality always has a way of coming back just when you don't want it to, in the form of Karen Roe.

"Luke, honey! You in there?" Karen shouted from the kitchen. Lucas and Haley pulled apart and took a moment to catch their breath before stepping out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Karen was at the kitchen table, taking out all the groceries out of the bags and putting them up. Haley immediately stepped up to help her.

"Oh, thank you Haley! What are you two up to today?" Karen asked as she put away the last of the groceries. "Not much. Are you going to the café today?" Haley asked, wanting more time alone with Lucas. "Yeah, I am. Oh, actually, I'm running late! Thanks for the help. And Luke, I'll probably be home late okay? Don't get in any trouble!" Karen smirked as Lucas and Haley exchanged nervous glances. Karen grabbed her purse and walked out the door. Lucas let go of the breath he didn't realize he was holding in.

"Thank God! I thought she'd never leave!" Haley laughed. She and Lucas joined once again at the lips, too drunk on lust to even try to make it back to the bedroom. Haley eagerly pulled Luke's shirt off and started working on unbuttoning his pants while Lucas already had Haley's shirt, bra, and jeans off, just about to pull her panties off. As soon as they were both naked, Lucas sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and pulled Haley on top of him. Haley slammed down on his lap, making him enter her as hard as he could. Lucas let his head roll back while Haley cried out in pain and pleasure. She then started rocking back and forth, up and down, however she could to make sure they both received the best orgasms.

At the moment, neither one could deny the passion they felt for the other. The other times they had sex; it was more making love to them, with sweet nothings whispered in each other's ears. But this time was different. This time they were giving in to the sexual frustration the two of them had shared for years. There was hardly any kissing going on between them. They were too concentrated on the pleasure they were both experiencing.

After a while, Haley could feel her orgasm coming. "I'm almost there baby," she whispered huskily in Lucas' ear. Lucas, wanting to make the most of this, picked Haley up and slammed her up against the kitchen wall. Bouncing her up and down, thrusting in and out of her, Lucas felt his release getting closer. As both of them reached their orgasms, Haley wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him in ecstasy. Once they were done, Haley slowly unwound her legs from Lucas' waist and slid down the wall to stand in front of him, trying to catch her breath.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to eat in this kitchen again!" Lucas said, looking around at the piles of clothes in the kitchen floor. Haley snickered as she could finally start feeling her legs again. Her and Lucas walked over to the table to start gathering their clothes and headed into his room to get dressed. Before Haley could even try to start getting dressed, Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her down on top of him on the bed.

"What do you think you're doing? I'm not done with you yet!" Lucas mumbled with a smirk as he pressed his lips to hers, snaking one hand down her stomach, towards her center.

* * *

One Hour Later:

Haley and Lucas were lying in his bed after making love for the second time that night. After about ten minutes, Haley realized that Lucas was sound asleep. She figured this was the one time she could slip out without having him argue with her. She quietly stood from the bed and got dressed. As she was slipping her shoes on, Lucas woke up, sitting up on one arm to look at her.

"Where are you going?" Lucas asked sleepily. "I promised Peyton I would stop by tonight before I head home. It's already 9 so I need to go before it gets any later," she explained, not looking at him. Lucas just sighed, letting her leave with a simple peck on the lips before laying back down.

Lucas stared at the ceiling, wondering how he got himself in this position. He knew he should just break things off with Brooke. He had hardly even seen her since the school shooting. And the times he had seen her, he had done everything in his power to not touch her or kiss her. It was too hard from him to pretend that he was still in love with her. There was no way he could possibly pretend after he had fallen in love with Haley. There was just something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. She had been his best friend since he could remember. And he had never once thought he would be in love with her. Sure, he had lusted after her a time or two. But never did he have romantic feelings toward her.

In the moment that they had climaxed together the first time that night, and their eyes locked, words were silently spoken between the two. He knew in that moment that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Haley by his side. Now all he had to worry about was his brother. How was he going to explain this to Nathan? Nathan was the one that married Haley before. But he did also divorce her. Yet, they are together now.

Lucas came to one conclusion: he was head over heels for Haley, but he was in over his head with this whole situation.

* * *

At Peyton's:

Brooke and Peyton were still lounging in Peyton's room when there was a knock on her bedroom door. Both girls turned their heads to see Haley standing there. Brooke rolled her eyes and looked away as Peyton invited Haley in. Haley walked into the room and sat down next to where Brooke was laying on Peyton's bed.

"What's up Hales?" Peyton asked. "Not much. I just left Lucas'. Thought I'd stop by and say hi before heading home!" Haley cheered as she noticed Brooke finally turning towards her with a cold glare.

"You mean you're finally going to acknowledge that you have your own boyfriend!" Brooke sneered. "Brooke, I know Nathan is my boyfriend. It's not like I'm trying to steal Lucas from you! I'm just trying to be there for him as his best friend," Haley tried explaining calmly.

"Oh please! Haley, you have hardly been home in a month! When you're not at school or work, you're with my boyfriend! I'm starting to think maybe there really is something going on between you two," Brooke shouted. Haley went wide-eyed and was about to say something back just as Peyton rushed forward from her computer chair to get in between the two girls.

"Okay, before this goes any further, I think it's time for you to go Haley," Peyton said quietly as Brooke smirked. "What? Peyton, she started on me! I didn't even do anything," Haley defended.

"I understand that Haley. But Brooke lives here. It's not like I can make her leave!" Peyton pointed out as Haley rolled her eyes. "You know, for being so-called Tutorgirl, you'd think you would have figured that one out already!" Brooke laughed as Haley walked out the door.

"Brooke! That is one of your friends! What is wrong with you?" Peyton demanded as Brooke rolled her eyes for the hundredth time. "What did you expect me to say Peyt? I'm sorry but I don't like her taking up all of Lucas' time!" Brooke whined. "I know you're upset B. But maybe you need to talk to Luke about this instead of taking it out on Haley," Peyton suggested.

"Fine!" Brooke groaned, "I'll talk to him at school tomorrow. I just want to go to bed now!"

* * *

**A/N: Okay there it is! Please leave a review and I just might update before Thanksgiving is I get enough! If not, you'll have to wait until some time next week. I'm leaving early Thursday morning to go to my lake house, where there is not internet, and won't be back until Sunday. **


	7. Honestly?

**A/N: Hey guys! So my life is crazy busy right now with finals next week. So I didn't exactly have time to write an entire chapter. But I thought I would post a teaser for you guys until I get time to write the whole chapter. These are some quotes that are gonna be in the next chapter! But I'm not gonna say who is saying what! If you can guess all of them correctly, I might just post 2 chapters at once! So post a review guessing who said what! Oh and Morgan, you don't count since you already know what's going to happen! Lol…Sorry!**

"Honestly? It feels like you're dating my brother and not me!"

"Nathan, please don't walk out! You do it all the time!"

"I don't know how much more of this I can take Lucas!"

"Nathan, what are we going to do? You realize we're going to have to face them in school everyday right?"

"I know what you said and to be honest with you, I think you're just scared! I can't deny how I feel anymore. I'm sick of hiding it. I'm falling in love with you and you're just going to have to deal with that because I'm not giving up on us!"

"What do you want me to say? It's not like I planned this! I didn't ask to fall for someone else!"

"I'm pregnant."

"You're joking right?"

**A/N: Alright, there it is! Oh and as you can tell, someone is pregnant. So help me out with ideas for names! Boy and girl names! And like I said, send me a review or PM to see if you can guess who said what! Thanks guys!**


	8. 6:You

**A/N: Okay, first, I need to correct a mistake I noticed. In the last chapter, I had said that Nathan and Brooke were there for Peyton when her mom, Anna, died. But then I put that they met when Peyton started THHS their freshman year. So let's pretend that I didn't even say that! Lol…They were always close since elementary school, okay? Second, Nathan might seem a little out of character for this chapter. But I needed it to be that way for the story! **

**And third, the guessing game! Unfortunately, no one got all the answers correct. I was thinking about posting two chapters anyways, but finals got the best of me and I haven't had time to write another chapter. Sorry guys! And the answers are all in the chapter somewhere, I'm sure we're all smart enough to figure them out right? Lol….And please be nice and review this chapter for me. I'm not too pleased with it. I had a hard time writing it. So please tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!**

* * *

Monday Morning:

After the argument at Peyton's, Haley decided to spend the night at Lucas' house, feeling too guilty to go home. Therefore, Monday morning, she had to rush home to get dressed for school. Walking in the door, she noticed Nathan in the kitchen eating some toast. Trying not to look suspicious, she strolled up to him and kissed his cheek.

"Good morning," she whispered, not noticing Nathan trying not to pull away from her. Ever since fighting with Brooke on the phone, the idea of Haley has been difficult from him to stomach. Yes, he loved Haley. He just wasn't sure if that was enough anymore. Without saying anything to her, he stood up and went to get dressed. She stared after him for a moment before following him into the bedroom.

"Are you ignoring me on purpose or was than an accident?" Haley asked as she grabbed a clean pair of jeans from the dresser. Nathan walked to the closet to grab his favorite red polo shirt, trying to decide how to answer that. Before he could say anything, Haley spoke.

"So you're mad at me, aren't you? Is that why you're not talking to me?" "I'm not not talking to you Hales. And I'm not mad. I just don't know what to say to you anymore," he explained.

"And why is that?" she questioned as she started doing her makeup. "Honestly? It feels like you're dating my brother and not me. I mean, all your time is spent with Lucas and not me. It almost feels like before he joined the team, when we all had nothing to do with each other!" he said, starting to get aggravated. "How many times do I have to explain this Nathan? He is my best friend and he just lost his uncle! I'm just trying to be there for him!" she defended herself.

"Really? Because if you asked me, I'd say you both had a thing for each other!" he shouted as he grabbed his backpack and headed for the door. "Are you kidding me? You're actually accusing me of having something going with my best friend and your brother? That is ridiculous!" she yelled back, realizing that she was getting pretty good at this lying thing.

Nathan didn't say anything, just grabbed the doorknob as he took one last look at Haley, seething with anger.

"Nathan, please don't walk out! You do it all the time!" Haley warned. "Yeah? Well, it keeps me from saying things you don't want to hear!" he shot back and slammed the door behind him.

Nathan almost ran to his car, eager to get away. He couldn't believe the way Haley was acting. He drove as fast as he could, without breaking any laws, to get to school. Maybe he could find Peyton and Brooke before first period and talk to them about it. He rushed through the parking lot, seeing Peyton's car parked in its usual spot. Brooke and Peyton were sitting up on the hood of the car, waiting for the bell to ring.

Nathan sprinted from his car, noticing Lucas pull into the parking lot out of the corner of his eye. He almost growled out loud at seeing Haley in the passenger seat.

"Hey Natey, you're here early!" Peyton laughed. "Yeah, I know. I had to get away from Haley!" he replied, trying not to cringe."Whoa! Is Naley having problems?" Brooke asked sarcastically, eyeing Nathan with a smirk."Actually, Brooke, can I talk to you for a second? Peyton, you mind?" he asked, not taking his eyes off Brooke. "Sure! Go for it! But please don't fight. I'm tired of getting stuck in the middle of yalls feuds!" she joked before walking off to join Lucas and Haley at Lucas' car.

* * *

"Since when are Brooke and Nathan so buddy-buddy?" Lucas asked as soon as Peyton walked up to them."Hi to you too!" Peyton mumbled, "Anyways, Luke, they've been best friends since we were little!"

"Yeah, but not in the last few years. Now, they're constantly together!" Lucas complained, earning an odd look from Haley. "Maybe because you can't detach yourself from this one!' Peyton said, glaring at Haley before walking off."They seem really serious! I wonder if they're getting suspicious! I mean, I told you what Nathan said this morning," Haley worried, looking at Nathan and Brooke. Brooke was still sitting on the hood of Peyton's car while Nathan stood directly in front of her.

"Hales, I told you not to worry! We'll be okay. I promise!" Lucas reassured her. Haley still wasn't convinced, especially after her discovery this morning.

* * *

"Brooke, I think we need to talk," Nathan mumbled, casting a glance at Peyton, who was keeping Lucas and Haley busy. "I really don't think we do, Nate. I'm pretty sure I said everything I needed to say!" Brooke replied. "Exactly Brooke! You said everything you needed to say, I didn't! Look, I'm sorry for what happened. And I agree, it shouldn't happen again," Nathan told her. Brooke eyed him suspiciously, "Really?"

"Yeah. Brooke, you're my best friend. So maybe we haven't been that close in the last few years but…" he started before Brooke interrupted. "Yeah, because you're such an ass!" she laughed.

"Funny! But seriously, you are my best friend. And I shouldn't have taken advantage of you just because I was upset with Haley," he tried to explain. Of course, he knew he was lying to her. And to himself. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was falling out of love with Haley. And falling for a certain brunette sitting in front of him.

"That's why that happened?" Brooke asked with a frown. "Yeah. Why?" Nathan asked, trying to hide the lie from his best friend. "Thank God! For a minute there, I thought you actually wanted something between us. Natey! You had me worried!" Brooke laughed. Nathan wondered if she really meant that or if she was also lying about her true feelings. Because, let's face it, he could tell she was fed up with Lucas and his behavior.

"Whatever, let's get to class Nate. You can't afford to be late again for English!" Brooke teased as she slid off the hood of Peyton's car and linked her arm through his. As they started walking towards the school doors, Nathan literally ran into Lucas, who also had his arm linked with Haley.

"Well, if it isn't my long lost brother," Nathan said with a smirk. "What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked, trying not to get upset. He let go of Haley's arm and turned to face Nathan. "That means it looks like you finally took your head out of your ass and…."Nathan started before Haley stepped between them. "Nathan, stop it! You can say whatever you want to me, but leave Lucas alone. Let's just go to class!" she told him, grabbing his arm away from Brooke and pulling him towards the school before he could protest.

Lucas and Brooke stood in front of each other awkwardly as the bell for first period rang. Lucas turned towards the school, mumbling, "I need to get to class."

"Lucas wait!" Brooke shouted after him. He froze in his spot, hating himself for what he was doing to her. Yet, not regretting it either. "What is it?" he asked, turning around to face her, trying not to notice the tears in her eyes.

Brooke looked him in the eyes and noticed the cold, distant look he had. For the first time, she realized the truth she was running from. Lucas was not in love with her. There was no denying the look in his eyes.

"Lucas, we need to talk. English class can wait. Please?" she asked. He took one more look at the school doors before nodding his head and walking to sit on the hood of Peyton's car. She followed and resumed her position on the hood.

"What's going on Luke? We never see each other. And when we do, you won't even look at me. This is the most we've spoken since the funeral," she cried. Lucas, deciding that if he spoke, he would end up telling her the truth, stayed silent. Brooke watched him stare at the ground and twiddle his thumbs for a moment. Until she started to lose her patience.

"Lucas! Are you even listening to me?" Brooke pleaded. At that remark, Lucas picked up his head and glared at her. "Yes, Brooke. I'm listening to you. What do you want me to say?" he asked with a scowl.

"Anything Luke! I don't know how much more of this I can take Lucas! If you don't want to be with me, then just say it," she said quietly, trying to meet his gaze, but he just kept facing away from her. When he slid off the car and turned his back to her, she finally let the tears fall from her eyes.

"Luke, the least you could do is answer me!" she shouted, trying to stay strong. He whipped around to face her and decided to give her the only answer he could muster. "I'm sorry Brooke, but you're right. I can't do this anymore. It's not fair to you. I'm sorry," he told her before turning away again and walking into the school. Since there were tears cascading down her face, Brooke decided to sit in Peyton's car until second period. That way, she would have time to cry and fix her makeup before going to class.

* * *

When Lucas got to English, his teacher was too busy writing on the board to notice him slip into the classroom. Nathan, Haley, and Peyton, however, did notice him. He quietly took his seat next to Peyton and behind Haley. Nathan had been moved across the room from them since he had been unable to quit talking to Haley earlier in the semester.

All three sets of eyes turned to stare at Lucas with concern. For Nathan and Peyton, the concern was for Brooke. For Haley, it was for Lucas."What happened?" Haley whispered behind her. Instead of answering her, Lucas decided to write her a quick note. The second he handed it to her over her shoulder was the same moment that the teacher decided to look his direction. Haley grabbed the note, hoping that Mr. Harris hadn't seen it. Unfortunately, he had.

"Well, what do we have here? Not only are you late Mr. Scott, but you are passing notes in class?" he asked while taking the note out of Haley's hands before she got a chance to read what it said. She turned around to Lucas with fear in her eyes, knowing that Mr. Harris had a tendency to read student's notes aloud to the class when they got caught.

"Lucas, do something!" she yelled in a whisper as Lucas stood up to face Mr. Harris just as he was unfolding the note. "Can I have that back, please?" Lucas asked nicely, reaching out to grab the note. Mr. Harris snatched it out of Lucas' way saying, "Mr. Scott, you know my classroom rules. Now take your seat and we'll see what was too important to wait for after class," he told him as he started to read the note, "Everything is okay. I broke up with Brooke. I couldn't pretend like I loved her anymore. Especially since we both know you're the one I really want. Can't wait until we get to my house so we can finish where we left off this morning," Mr. Harris read, realizing it was too late to take any of what he just read back. There was a collective gasp all around the room. Every student turned to stare at Lucas and Haley. But the only sets of eyes they noticed were Nathan's. His angry glare seemed to speak more words than he could actually say.

"Okay, maybe that's a bad rule for this class. Let's get back on topic, shall we?" Mr. Harris said even though the class was still too focused on Lucas and Haley, and trying to judge Nathan's reaction. Before anyone could say anything else, Nathan jumped out of his chair and left the room. Without a word, Lucas, Haley, and Peyton all ran after him.

Nathan ran as fast as he could out to the parking lot trying to get away from them. As he reached the exit, he noticed Brooke still sitting on the hood of Peyton's car. He ran towards her, wanting to warn her of what he just heard before Haley and Lucas got there.

* * *

"So Brooke was right! You do have something going on!" Peyton shouted at Lucas and Haley after they left the classroom. "Peyton, shut up, you don't know what you're talking about!" Lucas growled. Haley and Peyton both froze in place. Lucas noticed this and stopped too. He turned around to see Peyton glaring at him and Haley looking like she was about to cry.

"How dare you talk to me like that Lucas Scott! You cheat on my _best_ friend with your _brother's girlfriend _and you act like I did something wrong?" Peyton questioned, seething with anger. "I really don't have time to explain my actions to you. It really has nothing to do with you, so why don't you mind your own business?" Lucas shot back at her as Haley groaned.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," she mumbled and ran to the bathroom."What's wrong with her?" Peyton asked quietly as they both walked quickly towards the girls' bathrooms. When they just barely opened the door, they were attacked by the sounds of Haley throwing up. Silently, they decided to wait until she was done before heading off to find Nathan.

After a few minutes, Haley walked back into the hallway, heading straight for the water fountain. "I'm fine," she said, looking directly at Lucas, "Let's just go find Nathan. This isn't going to be fun, so let's get it over with."

* * *

Lucas and Haley led the way into the parking lot with Peyton trailing behind them. As soon as they exited the school doors, they saw Nathan and Brooke talking by Peyton's car. They also noticed the tears streaming down Brooke's face and the angry look on Nathan's. Getting annoyed with Lucas and Haley, Peyton pushed past them and ran towards Brooke. She enveloped her in a hug and let Brooke cry on her shoulder for a moment. That's when the anger took over. Brooke quickly pulled back from Peyton to glare at Lucas and Haley. Before Nathan or Peyton could do anything, Brooke took off after them with rage in her eyes.

"You! How dare you! You were supposed to be my friend and help me get through to my boyfriend! But you were just hooking up with him behind my back! Behind Nathan's back! You bitch!" Brooke yelled, pulling her arm back to slap Haley. Before she made contact, Lucas grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Brooke, don't take this out on Haley. It's not her fault. It's mine," he told her as both her and Nathan stared at him."You're damn right this is your fault! I have half a mind to beat the living hell out of you!" Nathan said as Haley stepped in front of Lucas."No. It's not just Luke's fault. It's both our faults. And I'm sorry Nathan. I didn't want to hurt you," Haley tried to explain before Brooke cut her off with a laugh."You're sorry? Really Haley? Were you sorry when you were screwing Lucas? Did you even think for one second about what you were doing?" Brooke asked, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"What do you want me to say? It's not like I planned this! I didn't ask to fall for someone else!" Haley shouted back at Brooke, but mainly looking at Nathan. "Fall for someone else? So you pretended to still love me while you fell for Lucas?" Nathan asked, not sure if he wanted to know the truth. Because then, he couldn't feel bad. After all, he had been pretending to love Haley while falling for Brooke.

"Yes, and I'm sorry. Nathan, please believe me, I didn't mean for this to happen," Haley mumbled, walking up to him."I do believe you Hales. In a strange way, I actually understand," Nathan said, trying not to look at Brooke. Haley caught the look though, and her eyes softened in understanding. "Truce?" she asked with a slight smile. "Sure," Nathan answered back, shaking her hand before walking off towards the gym.

"Nathan! Wait for us!" he heard Peyton shout. He turned around to see Brooke and Peyton running towards him with confused expressions. "What the hell was that?" Brooke asked. "Just an understanding," he said, not wanting to comment any further."Nathan, what are we going to do? You do realize we're going to have to face them in school everyday right?" Brooke asked him as he stopped walking to face her.

"Brookie, it's okay. I know it sucks, but let's face the truth. We both know you aren't in love with Lucas anymore anyways. You fell out of love with him a while back. And to be honest, I haven't been in love with Haley for a long time. I just stayed with the familiar. But now, with the truth out there, I can finally face what I didn't want to. And that's you!" he exclaimed, gaining two confused looks from Brooke and Peyton once again.

"What the hell are you talking about? Nathan, I told you that was a mistake!" Brooke whispered angrily to him, throwing Peyton a look that said she would explain later. Peyton took the hint and quietly backed away, giving them a little privacy."I know what you said and to be honest, I think you're just scared! I can't deny how I feel anymore. I'm sick of hiding it. I'm falling in love with you and you're just going to have to deal with that because I'm not giving up on us!" Nathan told her, moving in to kiss her.

"Nathan! Stop it! Look, I am not scared! And you are just upset and wanting to attach to the first person you find! I understand that okay? But I can't let you just jump into something like that after what just happened! Nathan, you do realize that we just found out that Haley and Lucas were having an affair behind our backs right? That they are _in love_ with each other!" Brooke almost shouted at him.

"I know that! And yes, it sucks! And it hurts too. Because, at one time, I did love Haley. I married her! But I also divorced her Brooke. Don't you realize what I'm saying to you?" he asked. Brooke appeared to be a little preoccupied though. He realized she wasn't even listening to him, but was instead, focused on Lucas and Haley still standing over by Peyton's car in what looked like an argument. She could barely make out their words.

"Haley, what is wrong with you? Why can't you just talk to me?" Lucas demanded. "I just can't Luke. You wouldn't understand!" she shot back at him. "Not understand? Haley, I have been your best friend since we were little! And now we're together. I think I'll understand! Just talk to me!" he begged as Haley blew out a sigh before looking up into his eyes.

Brooke and Nathan both almost passed out when they heard the next exchange between the two.

"I'm pregnant," Haley said loudly. Lucas' eyes went as wide as they possibly could. They both heard a gasp and realized that Brooke and Nathan had heard her confession. Haley silently cursed herself before looking back at Lucas, trying to determine his reaction.

"You're joking right?" he asked in confusion. As soon as he said the words, Haley's eyes filled up with tears and she ran away from him as fast as she could.

* * *

**Okay there it is! Press that little button on the bottom and tell me what you think! Thanks!!**


	9. 7:WHAT?

**A/N: I'm so sorry it has been so long since I've updated. Not only was I trying to get "It's Perfect," started, but I got sick Christmas night with a bad stomach virus and am still getting over it. So it's been a very stressful two weeks! But here is the next chapter for you guys! ANd I would still like ideas for baby names too! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy New Year! And special thanks to Morgan for everything! This chapter wouldn't be up if it wasn't for her! Thanks!**

* * *

_Brooke and Nathan both almost passed out when they heard the next exchange between the two._

"_I'm pregnant," Haley said loudly. Lucas' eyes went as wide as they possibly could. They both heard a gasp and realized that Brooke and Nathan had heard her confession. Haley silently cursed herself before looking back at Lucas, trying to determine his reaction._

"_You're joking right?" he asked in confusion. As soon as he said the words, Haley's eyes filled up with tears and she ran away from him as fast as she could._

Peyton, who was standing by the entrance to the school and had not heard Haley's confession, was more than slightly confused when Haley flew past her and ran back into the school. After waiting a moment and realizing no one was going to offer up the information, she quickly strode back over to Brooke and Nathan, Lucas only a few feet away.

"Okay, anyone want to tell me what the hell just happened?" she asked, noticing the worried looks on Nathan and Lucas' faces, and the shocked expression on Brooke's. Still, no one answered her. "Guys!" she shouted, gaining everyone's attention. Nathan and Lucas immediately looked at each other.

"Obviously it's not mine since you're the only one that's had sex with her lately!" Nathan said quietly, going to sit down next to Lucas on the hood of Peyton's car. "Are you sure? I mean, we always used protection! Always!" Lucas stammered. "Well, it obviously didn't work. Go after her you idiot!" Brooke exclaimed, pushing him off of Peyton's car.

"Brooke, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was going to happen," Lucas apologized. "Luke, yes, I'm still mad. But what's done is done," she told him. He gave her a small smile before turning around and running towards the school. Peyton took one look at his retreating figure before turning back to her two best friends. "Okay, I'm going to count to ten in my head, and someone better start explaining before I'm done!" Peyton warned them. Before she could get to three, Brooke started explaining the situation.

"Okay, so Lucas and I broke up before English. And you were there for what happened during English. Then Nathan came out here to tell me the whole note thing and you saw everyone's reactions. And then Nate and I were talking and heard Haley tell Lucas she was pregnant. Next thing I know, she fled and here we are!" Brooke said, trying her best to leave out the explanation of what happened between her and Nathan. But by the look on Peyton's face, she knew she would have to explain that later.

"Okay, this officially sucks. I'm going home!" Nathan told them, starting to walk towards his car. "Nate, you do know you left all your stuff in class, right?" Peyton asked. "Yeah, I know. I've done it before. Mr. Harris just gives it to Whitey to give to me at practice. You guys staying?" he asked them. Brooke and Peyton took one look at the school before jumping in Peyton's car. Instead of walking to his car, Nathan just jumped into the backseat of her car, deciding to go with them to Peyton's house.

* * *

Lucas had stayed at school that day trying to get Haley to talk to him. She had refused, saying she needed time to cool down. After school was over, he decided to skip practice, giving Whitey some lame excuse, and headed home. When he pulled up to his house, he saw Haley sitting on the porch outside of his room.

"You gonna talk to me Hales?" he asked, sitting down on the steps next to her. "I don't really want to right now. I'm still kind of upset. But we do have some things to discuss. Lucas, I'm pregnant!" she cried. He immediately took her in his arms and let her cry for a moment.

"Haley? Listen, I know in the end that this is all up to you. That it's your decision. But I want you to know that I love you and I will support you in whatever you decide. If you want to keep the baby or not, I will still be here and I will still love you!" Lucas told her. "I love you too Luke. And I'm keeping the baby. I can't get an abortion! And adoption makes me uncomfortable, giving my baby to a complete stranger! No, we're going to do this. We are going to have a baby. Now we just have to tell our parents," she whispered with wide eyes.

"Okay, don't stress yourself out about this! We will just sit them down separately and explain that somehow we went from best friends to falling in love. And that we were careful, but sometimes these things just happen. That's all we can do, okay?" Lucas explained. Haley just nodded her head. "Let's go inside, it's getting kind of chilly out here!" she said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

* * *

At Peyton's house:

Brooke, Peyton, and Nathan had all been lounging in the living room watching TV all day. This was a normal routine for them when they skipped school, and only because Peyton's dad was never there to catch them skipping. Peyton and Brooke would always create a makeshift bed on the living room floor that they would lay on and Nathan would always take the couch.

"I think we need more blankets! This floor is still kind of hard! Brooke, you want to help me get some more blankets?" Peyton asked, heading for the stairs. Brooke jumped up and followed her, flashing Nathan a quick smile.

"Okay, now that I finally got you away from Nate, what the hell happened between you two?" Peyton demanded. "Ah! You said you wanted more blankets! You sneak!" Brooke complained. "No, I really do want more blankets!" Peyton laughed, grabbing two blankets from her closet, "I also want to know what happened! And you know you can't lie to me!"

"It's nothing Peyton, really. Just a onetime thing that's never going to happen again," Brooke said quietly, trying to busy herself with one of Peyton's music albums. "What's never going to happen again?" Peyton demanded. Brooke rolled her eyes and walked to stand in front of Peyton whispering, "We hooked up."

"What?" Peyton shouted. "SHH! Look, you can't tell Nathan I told you. We swore we wouldn't tell anyone! It was at his mom's house, we went over there to go in the hot tub. And one thing led to another and we hooked up. It was a mistake! I swear!" Brooke explained, talking as fast as she could to get it over with, hoping that would keep the truth out of her eyes. She didn't want to admit that she didn't think it was a mistake. That it was the best moment she has had in such a long time. For the first time since the school shooting, she had felt like someone still wanted her.

"A mistake? Brookie, you're a horrible liar!" Peyton giggled. One look at Brooke's face and Peyton could tell she was lying. She could tell that Brooke had thoroughly enjoyed what happened between her and Nathan. That she was just scared to admit it because Nathan is her best friend. The one thing she couldn't believe was that Nathan and Brooke had managed to keep this from her. They never kept anything from each other, even things as big as this.

"What? I'm not lying P.," Brooke tried to tell her. "Brooke, you can tell me whatever lie you want, but I'm still your best friend. And I know you don't think that was a mistake. You want to know what I think? I think you're falling for Nathan Scott!" Peyton smirked, walking out of the room with the blankets. Brooke stood frozen for a moment. Falling for Nathan Scott? There was absolutely no way Peyton was right. Nathan was her best friend! The one person, besides Peyton herself, that had always been there for Brooke. One of the only people to know all her deepest, darkest secrets. She couldn't be falling for Nathan. Could she?

Brooke decided to join them back downstairs, walking like a zombie until she reached the bed her and Peyton had made on the living room floor. Lying down next to Peyton, she pulled the blanket over her and tried to focus on the television. She didn't dare sneak a look at Nathan, scared for what she might think when she saw him. Peyton cast a glance at Brooke's confused face and knew she had made Brooke think about what she had said. Before she could ask if Brooke was okay, Nathan jumped up from the couch and lay down next to Brooke, squishing her in-between him and Peyton.

"What's the matter Brookie Cookie?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her, making her lay her head on his shoulder. "Nothing, Natey," she smiled up at him, "Nothing at all."

When, in fact, everything was wrong with her. Peyton's words had really made her start to evaluate her friendship with Nathan. She started recalling every moment they had spent together since that day in the hot tub. She realized all the little things he had done, all the quiet comments he thought she hadn't heard, all the sweet gestures. It was at that moment that she realized that her best friend was in love with her. And it was also in that moment that she realized she was falling in love with her best friend. Peyton was right!

* * *

**Okay there it is! Sorry it's kind of short but I thought that was a good place to end it! Leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks! ANd thank you so much to all my reviewers! You guys are the reason I do this!**


	10. Author's Note

**A/N: **Hey guys! Sorry if you were expecting a new chapter. I actually just had a question. Does anyone know what month or what time of the year the school shooting happened? Just trying to get my timeline correct! And don't worry, I plan on having the next chapter out by tomorrow or the next day! But please, if yall know the answer, will yall PM me or something? I would really appreciate it!! Thanks!

-Jenn


	11. 8:You

**A/N: Hey there guys! Here is Chapter 8! I start back to school on the 20****th****, so I will be trying to get out at least two more chapters of this story, two more chapters of "It's Perfect," and one more chapter for my story on before I start classes. So be on the lookout for those! Like always, big special thanks goes out to Morgan! I don't know if this story would be where it is without you! And thank you to all my reviewers. I love you guys! There are personal thank yous down at the bottom. And please leave a review for me! Oh and one more note, I'm changing the timeline of their senior year. I'm making the school shooting at the end of August. So it is now the beginning of November in this chapter.**

* * *

One Month Later:

Haley couldn't believe it had already been a month since the news of her pregnancy. She also couldn't believe she was already nine weeks, or two months, pregnant. Lucas had been nothing but supportive of her since everyone found out. Especially after her parents and Karen were told the news. They decided to tell all three of them at once, so Lucas had invited Haley and her parents to dinner at his house a few days after he found out. Haley could remember that night like it was yesterday.

_Flashback:_

_Dinner had been going well so far and it was nearing time for the dessert Haley's mother had brought with them. Lucas and Haley sat on one side of the table, her parents on the other, with Karen at the head of the table. Lucas reached under the table and squeezed Haley's hand gently, letting her know it was time for their announcement._

"_Mom, Dad, Karen, Lucas and I need to talk to you," Haley said, getting their attention. "That doesn't sound good Hales. What is it?" Lydia asked with a worried look. _

"_I'm pregnant," Haley blurted. Lydia grabbed her husband's hand and looked like she was about to faint. "I don't understand. What does that have to do with Lucas?" Karen asked curiously. "Maybe you should have waited for that announcement Hales," Lucas smirked, "Mom, Haley and I are together now. I'm the father."_

"_What? What happened to Brooke? And Nathan? How did this happen?" Karen screeched, standing up to pace the kitchen floor. "It's actually real simple Mom. Somewhere along the line, Haley and I fell in love with each other. Brooke and Nathan know the truth, and while they're not okay with it, they understand. And we would really like yall to understand too," Lucas explained, glancing at Haley. She was frozen in her seat, eyes locked on her half empty plate. He nudged her in the side, silently asking her to speak up and help him._

"_Really Karen, we didn't mean for this to happen. And Mom, Daddy, we promise, we were always safe. But these things just happen sometimes. And before you ask, Lucas and I have decided to keep the baby. We've talked it over and we've decided to go to the same college, get an apartment together, and raise the baby together. We've both been saving up money and we will both get jobs in college too so we can afford childcare and everything else we need!" Haley explained, trying to keep the tears out of her eyes. Just talking about this made her realize how much she was growing up._

"_Well, sounds like you two have really put a lot of thought into this," Haley's dad said. "Yes sir, we have!" Lucas told him. "And you love my daughter? You're willing to take care of her and the baby for the rest of your life? Even if yall don't stay together, you willing to pay child support?" Jimmy James asked him. "Yes sir. I love your daughter more than anything. And I swear to you, I will do my best by her and the baby," Lucas said. "Well then, you have my blessing son!" Jimmy smiled. Haley and Lucas looked at each other in amazement before rushing to hug him at the same time._

"_Thank you Daddy! I love you!" Haley gushed, hugging her father once more. When he let go of her, she looked over at her mother and Karen still in their seats. "Lucas, Haley, could you give us a moment?" Jimmy asked. Lucas and Haley walked into the living room. When they were out of sight from the adults, they got as close to the door as they could so they could still hear the conversation._

"_How can you be okay with this?" Karen asked incredulously. "Honestly? I'm not okay with it. But there isn't much we can do about it now. What's done is done. We just have to accept it. Besides, those two have always been the responsible ones. They sound like they have a good idea of what's coming to them and what is expected of them as parents. All we can do now is accept the fact that our children are going to have a child together. And be supportive, whether you like it or not!" Jimmy told the two women. They looked at each other, the agreement showing in their eyes._

_Just outside the door, Lucas hugged Haley to his side, whispering in her ear, "I knew I always liked your dad!" Haley just smiled, knowing her father would convince her mother and Karen to support them no matter what._

Eventually, after another thirty minutes of the parents talking, Karen and Lydia had joined the two teenagers in the living room. They had a very long conversation on the situation and came to an agreement. They would support and help out with them and the baby as long as Lucas and Haley held up their end of the deal. Which was to go to the community college in Tree Hill for the first year. They would get an apartment together in town, Haley could keep her job at the café, Lucas was to find a good paying job, and they would let Karen and Lydia baby-sit for them as often as the two women could.

Haley and Lucas were thrilled with the final outcome. Of course, Karen and Lydia weren't thrilled with the idea, but they were supportive. Haley's thoughts of that night were interrupted by a knock at the front door. She slowly got up, finally starting to feel the fatigue of the pregnancy, and made her way to the door. When she opened it, she was very surprised to see Nathan standing there with a grocery bag in his hands.

"Nathan! I wasn't expecting to see you here," she said. "Yeah, sorry. I know it's kind of late, and a school night, but I thought it was time we talked!" he explained, walking in and heading for the kitchen, setting the grocery bag down on the table. "I brought you something. Call it a peace offering!" he laughed. When Haley saw the contents of the bag, she looked up at him confused.

"Vanilla ice cream, dill pickles, and peanut butter?" Haley asked, sitting down at the table. "Yeah, see my mom told me a story once about when she was pregnant with me. And she said pregnant women get all kinds of crazy cravings. And that one time, right after she found out she was pregnant, she had a craving for vanilla ice cream, dill pickles, and peanut butter. Not all mixed together! Just random cravings for those three things!" he smiled sheepishly, taking a seat across from her. Haley couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face.

"Nate, I appreciate the offer, but right now, I'm still in that morning sickness phase where nothing sounds good to me! And besides, shouldn't I be giving the peace offerings? I mean, I'm the one that cheated, not you!" she laughed. Nathan gave an awkward laugh before saying, "Actually, Hales, that's kind of why I'm here tonight. There's something I need to tell you."

"Did you cheat on me?" Haley asked him, leaning on her elbows on the table. "Kind of. It was more like just a kiss. Nothing else happened. But since your affair, or whatever you want to call it, was revealed, I felt like I should tell you about the kiss," he told her. "Who was it?" she asked curiously. "Brooke," he mumbled, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Brooke? Are you kidding me? She acted like I was the biggest whore ever when she was hooking up with you!" Haley said very loudly, hoping she didn't wake her parents. "No, Haley, you don't understand. We weren't hooking up! It happened one time and we both admitted it was a mistake. It was just a kiss! And in her defense, she felt very guilty! But it was right after the shooting, and you and Lucas were spending all your time together! Brooke and I were so lonely and it just happened. And it hasn't happened since then. Besides, you really think I need to explain one kiss to you? When you were sleeping with my brother behind my back?" Nathan asked, starting to get defensive.

"Yes, Nathan, I was sleeping with your brother behind your back! And you have no idea how bad I would like to take that back. Do I love Lucas? With all my heart! I can't imagine not being with him now. I just wish it had happened a different way so you and Brooke wouldn't have been hurt so much. And I've already apologized to you! What else do you want me to do?" she asked frantically. "Hales, I've pretty much already forgiven you. I'm sorry about just now. I just got frustrated. But there is one thing you could do," he suggested. "Anything!" Haley smiled.

"Be a friend to me right now. I really need some advice!" he said. "Sure, what is it?" she questioned. "Well, you know that kiss I told you about? Well, there's more. And before you ask, nothing else physical happened! But I kind of….well I….see what happened was…..I fell in love with Brooke and she doesn't love me back!" Nathan stuttered. Haley's eyes went wide with surprise before she broke out into a smile.

"But I thought you said you both agreed the kiss was a mistake?" she smirked. "Hales, don't make fun of me okay? So I lied to her! I told her it was a mistake. But then I admitted I was falling in love with her in the parking lot right after the whole note incident. And she told me that I wasn't. That I was just upset and wanting to attach to the first person I saw, and went right back to being my best friend like always. What am I supposed to do? This past month has been torture to me! I've had to act like nothing happened!" he whined. "Can I ask you something?" she asked as he nodded once, "Why are you asking me for advice? Why not your other best friend, Peyton?"

"Well, for one, Peyton can't keep secrets from Brooke. She'll go straight to her and tell her everything I said, which would make things even more awkward. And two, I kind of figured you knew a thing or two about falling in love with your best friend!" he said with a small laugh.

* * *

At Peyton's House:

"Brooke! I can't sleep!" Peyton whined, walking into Brooke's room, formerly the guest room, and climbing into the bed with her. Brooke, having been lying in bed staring at the ceiling, gladly scooted over to make room for her best friend, enjoying the company.

"Me either! My mind won't stop thinking!" Brooke laughed. Peyton took a moment to laugh at her before asking, "So what's on your mind?"

"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about! But you could tell me what's on yours! You've got your worry face on!" Brooke joked, not wanting to admit that she was thinking about Nathan. Ever since the day that they all dubbed "the note incident," she couldn't help but think of what Peyton had guessed. That she was falling for her best friend. She wasn't sure if that was really a good idea. Granted, Nathan was pretty much drop dead gorgeous and any girl would kill to be in Brooke's shoes, knowing he was in love with her. But she just wasn't sure if she wanted to go there. Nathan was her _best friend_! You weren't supposed to fall in love with your best friend. Yet, look at Lucas and Haley. Even though she didn't want to admit it since Lucas had cheated on her, but they did look pretty happy together. Since the whole school knew about them, they didn't have a problem being together publicly now. Brooke would see them strolling through the hallways on their way to class hand in hand, huge smiles on their face. She wondered what it felt like to be that happy.

"Brooke!" Peyton shouted, breaking Brooke's train of thoughts. "I'm sorry, Peyt! What were you saying?" Brooke apologized, focusing her attention on Peyton. "I was saying that I applied for this internship this summer for Sire Records!" she told her.

"P. Sawyer! That's great! Have you heard anything yet?" Brooke asked, turning on her right side to face Peyton. Peyton stayed on her back, staring at the ceiling, worry spread across her face. "Yeah, I got the letter in the mail today. Brooke, I got it!" Peyton smiled, turning her head to look at Brooke's ecstatic face.

"I am so proud of you P.! That's amazing!" she gushed. "There's just one problem. It's is Los Angeles!" Peyton said. "LA? So what's the problem? LA is awesome!" Brooke laughed, elbowing Peyton slightly in the arm. "But Brookie, what about our summer plans? You know, go up to Duke or UNC early together and get an apartment, just me, you, and Nate. Get to know the town and get jobs before school starts. Brooke, we've been planning this together since we were like ten!" Peyton cried.

"Oh Peyt, it's okay! We can still do all of that. Just not early like we planned! As soon as your internship is over, we'll head up to Duke or UNC like we always planned, just the three of us!" Brooke reassured her. "But then what will you do over the summer?" Peyton wondered.

"Don't worry about me! I've got Natey to keep me company!" Brooke smiled, before turning over and falling into a deep sleep, knowing dreams of Nathan were sure to come.

* * *

The following day at school started like it always did, Nathan, Peyton, and Brooke hanging out by Peyton's car in the parking lot, waiting for the bell to ring. About five minutes before the bell, Haley walked up to the group, stopping in front of Brooke. Nathan glanced at Haley with a knowing smile on his face.

"Hey Brooke, can we talk real quick?" Haley asked. Brooke rolled her eyes and scoffed, but followed Haley away from Peyton's car anyways. "What is it?" Brooke asked with a slight attitude. "Okay, first of all, retract the claws! I come in peace! Actually, I needed to talk to you about Nathan," Haley said. "What about Nathan?" Brooke questioned.

"Look, Nathan stopped by my house last night and we talked. And no, there are not any kind of romantic feelings between the two of us anymore! It was really just a friendly chat. But you were brought up. And I know Nathan said you told him what happened between you two was a mistake, but I think you're lying!" Haley told her. Brooke's eyes flared with anger.

"Nathan told you what happened between us? I'm gonna kill him," she mumbled, turning in the direction of Nathan. Haley grabbed Brooke's arm before she started towards him. "Brooke, it wasn't like that. He wasn't trying to spread gossip or anything. He just honestly cares a lot about you and was asking for advice. Said he figured I knew a think or two about falling in love with a best friend," Haley laughed. Brooke stood glaring at Haley for a second before breaking out into laughter herself.

"Well, he's right with that fact! But you're wrong if you think I'm lying! Haley, unlike you and Lucas, Nathan really is my best friend! And that's all!" Brooke lied, looking at the ground, avoiding Haley's look. "Brooke, listen to me when I say this, I know you're lying! And I'm going to prove it to you one day. But I hope it's soon. Because, if I learned one thing from my time with Lucas, is that I wish things would have happened sooner with us. We've missed years that we could have had together because we were acting as best friends! But anyways, I'll see you in class!" Haley cheerfully said, leaving Brooke standing there bewildered by her words as the bell rang.

* * *

The rest of the day was like a blur to Brooke. She didn't pay attention in any of her classes, skipped lunch to go sulk in the library, the last place anyone would look for her, and was at the car after the last bell waiting for Peyton so they could go home. Haley's speech not only pissed her off, but it gave her more to think about. Was she really willing to waste away time that she could be spending with the person she fell in love with? Before she could try to figure out an answer, it was time to get ready for the regular Friday night party at the Scott beach house.

Brooke took her time getting ready, deciding to show up fashionably late with Peyton like normal. She slowly packed her overnight bag, knowing they would end up staying the night in one of the guestrooms as usual. She then stepped into her outfit of choice for the night, a pair of form fitting low-rise jeans, a black strapless top that fit to her body, showing just about an inch of her toned stomach, a pair of black dangled earrings, her favorite necklace, and a pair of black stiletto peep toe heels.

Brooke then finished off her makeup, giving her eyes that smoky look, and fixed her hair where it fell in waves over her bare shoulders. Walking into Peyton's room with her bag and purse slung over her shoulder, she whistled, taking in Peyton's outfit. Peyton had on a short jean skirt, a dark green halter top that brought out her eyes, dark green wedge flip flops to match her shirt, with her hair in her natural curls and her makeup light.

"You look hot!" Brooke yelled, making Peyton jump and turn towards her bedroom door, seeing Brooke leaning up against the door. "Thanks! So do you! So you ready for the Scott party yet again?" Peyton joked. "As always! Let's get going before the boys drink all the beer!" Brooke laughed, dragging Peyton out of the room and down the stairs. When they turned onto Nathan's street, they noticed cars lining the curb on both sides. Pulling up closer to the driveway, both girls smiled when they noticed their spot open. Everyone that came to these parties know not to park in the driveway. They knew that the driveway was saved for only three cars; Nathan's, Tim's, and Peyton's. Pulling into the driveway, Brooke jumped out of the car, Peyton following her. When they walked in the front door, they were greeted by shouting coming from the back porch. They immediately went in search of the reason for the shouting, laughing when they found it.

There on the back patio was Nathan, being held upside down by Tim and another guy, doing a keg stand. When he was set back down and turned around, he was face to face with Brooke and Peyton.

"Hey! It's my two favorite girls!" Nathan slurred. "Drunk already? Natey, you know you're supposed to wait for us!" Peyton laughed, grabbing the cup Tim was holding out for her. Brooke took hers too before giving Nathan a hug.

"Brooke, you look…..um…I mean…..you're…..you look beautiful!" Nathan stammered. Brooke tried not to blush but couldn't help it. "Thank you Nate! You look good tonight too," she complimented. Nathan stared into her eyes for so long that Brooke thought he was going to kiss her. Before she could get up the courage to back away, someone was shouting at Nathan to join them inside. He ran off into the house without another word. Brooke and Peyton just laughed it off and joined the party.

* * *

Two Hours Later:

Brooke, Peyton, Theresa, Tim, Vegas, Skills, Bevin, Lucas, Haley, and Mouth were all holding court at the kitchen table, attempting to play a drinking game called Quarters where you have to bounce a quarter into a cup of beer. If you make it, you can tell anyone in the group to drink. Obviously, Haley was just a spectator since she couldn't drink. Skills has made the last shot and ordered Brooke to drink. As she raised the cup to her mouth, something from the living room caught her eye. There in the middle of the makeshift dance floor was Nathan and a random blonde girl. Brooke set the glass down and watched them in horror as Nathan grinded on the girl as they danced. Everyone at the table followed her gaze and saw what she saw.

Peyton leaned over towards Tim, Lucas, and Haley, who were all sitting on her left side, and whispered, "The shit is about to hit the fan!" Everyone watched as tears gathered in Brooke's eyes while she watched Nathan and that girl start to make out. Before they knew it, Brooke launched herself from her chair and strode into the living room, directly towards Nathan and his new play toy. Grabbing the girl by the shoulder, she pushed her away from Nathan. Getting up in his face, she shouted, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

It took Nathan a moment to realize what Brooke had said. After all, he had been drinking since he got home from school. "What are you talking about? I _was_ having a good time!" he said, not noticing the tears in Brooke's eyes. "Having a good time? Nathan, do you even know that girl's name?" Brooke asked. Everyone saw the girl watching them with interest, waiting to know the answer. "No, but what does that matter?" he said, breaking the girl's slutty heart instantly.

"What does it matter? Nothing apparently since you've decided to be Tree Hill's resident manwhore tonight!" Brooke said to him with disgust. "Why do you care anyways Brooke? It's not like you want me!" he shouted at her, sober at this point because of their fighting. By this time, the music had been turned off and everyone at the party was silent watching the argument.

"Oh really? Is that what you really think Nathan?" Brooke demanded. "Yeah it really is!" Nathan mumbled. "Well then, you're dumber than I thought!" she scoffed, turning around and walking out the front door without another look at anyone. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Nathan yelled, running after her. He got to the end of the driveway without seeing her. Looking to the left, he saw her walking down the street slowly, raising a hand to wipe her tears away.

"Brooke!" he shouted, trying to catch up to her. "Go away Nathan! I don't want to talk to you!" she yelled, picking up her pace to get away from him. "Too bad! You're not going anywhere! You've been drinking!" he said loudly, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Her eye makeup had been wiped away and there were tear marks running down her face. But still, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Let me go!" Brooke growled, breaking him from his trance. "No! You're not going anywhere until you tell me what you meant back there!" he said, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. "It doesn't even matter anymore Nate. Just don't worry about it!" Brooke whispered.

"Brooke, it obviously meant something if you're crying now. Please, just tell me!" he begged. "No. I can't Nathan."

"Brooke, damn it! You're my best friend and I love you! Now, just tell…." He started as she silenced him with her lips. Nathan was taken by surprise at first, but then soon relaxed into her kiss. When she pulled apart abruptly, Nathan started to say something. Brooke just held her finger up to his lips to quiet him before she started speaking.

"Nathan, it doesn't matter anymore because I love you. You are my best friend and I was scared to admit it okay? But I'm not scared anymore! I guess it just took seeing you all up on some skank to realize how insanely in love with you I am. So…..just kiss me. Please!" she said, smiling as he leaned forward obligingly and placed his lips upon hers. After a few seconds, they were interrupted by cheering coming from down the street. They broke apart and looked towards the driveway to see Peyton, Tim, Skills, Haley, Lucas, and Mouth all gathered in a big group cheering them on.

"It's about damn time B. Davis!" Peyton yelled at her.

* * *

**A/N: Okay what did yall think? I personally liked this chapter! Let me know! And now onto the personal thanks!**

**rosseyanna: I love the Breyton friendship too! Thanks! And the BNP trio! THat's what I can call them now! lol....I'm trying to keep the BNP and the Breytong friendships a big part of the story! So glad you like them!**

**rachtree: I love your reviews! They're always long and detailed, which I like! Like I said above, the BNP friendship is a big part of the story. So don't worry, it won't end! And the makeshift bed on the floor, I got the idea from myself! lol....I do that with my daughter when we watch Disney movies!**

**gigga: Thank you so much! It means alot that everyone is loving thi story. I loved the note thing too! Thought it was a good way to announce their affair!**

**Brucanfan23: I love you M! THanks for always letting me bounce ideas off you! lol....Text me!**

**kay0340: I know the last chapter was short! Sorry! Hope this one made up for it a little. But don't worry, there will be plenty Brathan in the next couple chapters!**

**leona: Thank you! I'm so glad you like my writing!**


	12. 9:But you

**A/N: Hey! So everyone's reviews made me so happy that it inspired me to write another chapter in like an hour! I was so excited that everyone liked the last chapter! Big thanks to Morgan for always being there when I need help! Love ya girl! And thank you to everyone that reviewed. It means a lot! It is getting kid of late here though so I'm going to skip the personal thank yous this time. Sorry! But please leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks!**

* * *

Once the party had winded down, the only people left were Brooke, Nathan, Peyton, Tim, Lucas, Haley, and Skills. Nathan agreed to let everyone stay there, including Lucas and Haley. Peyton took one guestroom, Tim took another, and Lucas and Haley slept in the last guestroom. Skills grabbed the couch while Brooke and Nathan had disappeared into his bedroom not long after the kiss outside. Things were really starting to heat up in there.

"Nathan wait!" Brooke said, pushing him away slightly and sitting up on the bed. "What's wrong?" he asked, running a hand through her brunette locks. "Okay, might sound odd coming from me, but can we wait for the whole sex thing? I mean, we just go together and I don't know about you, but in my past relationships, sex just screwed everything up," she explained, looking a little embarrassed.

"Okay!" he said, getting off the bed and finding his shirt. "Are you mad?" she asked, pulling her shirt over her head. "No, of course not!" he told her, going to sit back down next to her, "Brookie, I love you. And if you're not ready, then I'm not ready. When you are ready, then so will I!"

"Thank you Natey! I love you too!" she said, kissing him lightly, "But I am also exhausted. How about we just go to sleep?" "Sounds good to me! Goodnight babe!" he said, lying down next to her under the covers.

"Oh, hey Brooke? Would you like to go out on our first date tomorrow night?" he whispered in her ear. "I would love to Nathan Scott!" she answered before falling asleep.

The Next Morning:

Nathan awoke to an empty bed. Reaching over to the nightstand, he grabbed the note that was right next to the clock that read 11:45 am. Brooke had been sweet enough to leave him a note to explain why she wasn't there. The note said:

_Natey,_

_Sorry I'm not here for our first morning as a couple! But I HAD to go shopping for our first date! Took P. Sawyer with me. Pick me up at 8 tonight!_

_Love you to the moon and back!_

_Brookie_

He smiled as he got up to go see the damage the party had left. Walking downstairs, he saw Skills still passed out on the couch with Lucas, Haley, and Tim sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast.

"Hey Nate! Killer party last night huh?" Tim asked as Nathan saw an extra plate of eggs and bacon on the stove. "Yeah, um, where did the food come from?" he asked, pointing at the plate. "Oh, that was me! Sorry, but I actually got hungry today, so I rummaged through the fridge here and made breakfast!" Haley said with a slight smile. "Oh, well thanks!" he laughed, grabbing the plate and sitting down at the table next to Tim and across from Lucas and Haley. "Hey Nate, can I talk to you outside for a minute?" Lucas asked, standing up and grabbing his jacket. Nathan followed, grabbing a jacket laying on the couch and walking out the back door. They walked out onto the back patio and went down the pier about ten feet away from the back door.

"So, uh, you and Brooke huh?" Lucas stuttered. Nathan gave him an odd look before replying, "Yeah, crazy isn't it?" with a slight laugh.

"Look, Nathan, I really just wanted to talk to you to see if we're still cool," Lucas said, leaning against the pier. "If we're still cool? Lucas, you realize that you were sleeping with my girlfriend behind my back right?" Nathan scoffed. "I know that Nate and I'm sorry. But you're still me brother. I don't want to lose you. Besides, Haley said you already forgave her. Why can't you forgive me?" Lucas demanded.

"You want my forgiveness? Fine, you can have it. But that doesn't mean we're okay. I forgave Haley because we came to an understanding. Do I love Brooke? God yes! I realized a long time ago that I was in love with her and not Haley. So maybe I should have ended it with Haley back then and then we would be okay. But you're my brother Lucas! That means more than my girlfriend cheating on me. Brothers aren't supposed to do shit like that to each other!" Nathan said loudly, starting to get angry, "And besides, you should be glad I didn't just kick your ass when I found out. If I hadn't have been so worried about Brooke, you would probably still be in the hospital! So back the fuck off!"

With that being said, Nathan turned around and started walking back to the house with Lucas hot on his heels. "Nathan! Nate stop! Come on, don't do this!" Lucas shouted after him. "No, Lucas! I didn't do anything! You did. You're the _brother_ I trusted that slept with my girlfriend and got her pregnant!" he yelled back at him. "But you just said you weren't even in love with Haley! What does it matter?" Lucas demanded.

"Don't you dare twist my words around! Whether I was in love with Haley or not doesn't matter! She was still my girlfriend and you don't go there!" Nathan shouted, getting up in Lucas' face. Before Lucas could come up with something to say, Haley was suddenly between them, pushing them apart.

"Stop this right now! Lucas go get in the car and wait for me! GO!" she yelled, shoving him towards the house. When she saw that he was inside she turned to Nathan, "I'm sorry Nate. If I had known he was going to do that, I would have stopped him!" she apologized.

"It's not your fault Hales. We all knew this was going to happen at some point. Just because I forgave you, he thinks I should forgive him too. Doesn't he realize that brothers don't do that?" he asked, trying to calm himself down and make sense of everything at the same time. "I know Nathan. And I will talk to him. You just worry about Brooke now. She's your girlfriend now and you should concentrate on being happy with her!" Haley smiled before walking away.

As soon as Haley got into the driver's seat of Lucas' car, knowing he was too upset to drive, she started the car and pulled off the street. The car ride back to her house was silent, both contemplating what to say. When she pulled into her driveway, she put the car in park and then turned on Lucas.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded. "What's wrong with me? What about Nathan? I mean, he can forgive you but he can't forgive me? I don't get it!" Lucas sulked. "Lucas, you are his brother! Don't you realize that? There are just unwritten rules that brothers should know!" Haley told him. "So what, are you saying you regret being with me?" Lucas asked warily.

"No, of course not! Lucas, I love you and you know that. But I do wish it could have happened differently. You just need to see where Nathan is coming from," Haley explained, getting out of the car and walking inside her house. Lucas, now to the point of being incredibly pissed off, just ran around the side of the car, got into the driver's seat, and took off for his house.

* * *

At the Mall:

"Brooke, can you shut up about how Nathan kisses for five minutes? I did date him you know? I know how he kisses!" Peyton complained, walking into the eighth store of the day, Macy's. Brooke was looking for the perfect outfit for her first date with Nathan and had yet to find anything.

"Okay, first of all, I do not want to hear about you and _my_ boyfriend!" Brooke joked, "Secondly, I can't help it! It just feels so good!" she laughed, not hearing another person walk up to them. "Hey guys! What feels so good?" Haley asked, causing Brooke and Peyton to turn around with wide eyes.

"Oh, um, nothing! What are you doing here?" Peyton stammered while Brooke turned bright red with embarrassment. "Oh, just some shopping! You know, maternity clothes and all! What about you guys?" Haley asked, holding up her selected items to show them. "Nice choices! Bold colors are always good for pregnant women!" Brooke stuttered awkwardly, "But um, actually, my first date with Nathan is tonight so I needed something to wear," she said quickly.

"Really? That's great! I think you should definitely wear red, you look great in red!" Haley suggested, trying to make this moment less awkward. "That is a great idea Hales! Well, we'll let you get back to your shopping and we'll try to find something red for Brooke here! Bye!" Peyton said rather quickly, dragging Brooke off to the juniors section in a hurry.

"Ow, Peyt! You're about to break my arm!" Brooke whined, pulling her arm away from Peyton. "I'm sorry! That was just too weird for me!" Peyton laughed. Brooke nodded along with her and went about trying to find an outfit. "Peyt, do you think she's right? Should I wear red?" Brooke asked tentatively, wondering if she should listen to Haley at all. "Why not? You do look good in red!" Peyton told her, holding up a halter top in a deep red color. "Cute! I don't know, maybe I'm being stupid, but I don't want to listen to Haley. I mean, the last time I listened to her, she promised me she was going to try to get through to my boyfriend, but she was really sleeping with him! So maybe she's telling me to wear red because she actually thinks I look ugly in red!" Brooke explained, avoiding Peyton's gaze.

"Brooke! That is the stupidest thing I've heard! To be honest with you, I think Haley is just trying to be nice! I mean, so yeah, she slept with Lucas when yall were together and cheated on Nathan. But maybe she's just trying to get back into your good graces? Yall were pretty good friends before this happened," Peyton suggested. "Maybe. I don't know. What about this top? Still has a little red in it!" Brooke asked, holding up a black halter with little red cherry blossoms on it.

"That's perfect! And it would go great with your skinny jeans, those cute black heels with the red lining, and my leather jacket!" Peyton told her. Brooke quickly agreed, going to pay for the top before heading to the food court for some lunch.

* * *

That Night:

Brooke was almost done getting ready when Nathan knocked on her bedroom door. Brooke turned to see him standing there and rushed to shut the door. "I'm not ready yet! Go see Peyton for a minute!" Brooke shouted through the door. Nathan walked to Peyton's room with a smile on his face to find Peyton lying on her bed flipping through a magazine.

"Hey Natey! Excited for your big date?" Peyton smirked as Nathan took a seat next to her. "Is it weird that I'm kind of nervous? Especially since she just slammed the door in my face!" he laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm kind of nervous too!" he heard Brooke say from the doorway. When he turned to look at her, he took in the sight of her for a moment before he could form words in his head.

"Babe, you look amazing!" he said, walking up to her. "Thanks! You look almost as hot as me!" she laughed, not knowing if she should kiss him or not. Before she could decide, Nathan leaned down and gave her a breath taking kiss.

"Ew! Guys, please, not in my room!" Peyton joked. They just rolled their eyes before leaving her room and heading for Nathan's car. "So where are you taking me?" Brooke asked when they left the house.

"I figured we could grab a bite to eat and then figure something out!" he said, heading towards the downtown area. Brooke accepted his answer and didn't ask any more questions until they pulled up in front of the most expensive restaurant in town. She didn't ask any questions, just followed him inside. The hostess seated them at a corner table and took their drink order before Brooke decided to speak.

"Nate, what are we doing here?" she asked curiously, looking around at the other customers dressed up nicely, making Brooke feel under dressed. "You don't like it?" he asked self-consciously. "No, it's not that. It's just, it's a little fancy don't you think?" she questioned, trying not to hurt his feelings. Nathan took a second to look around at everyone before nodding.

"You're right! Come on, let's get out of here!" he said, taking her hand and guiding her out of the restaurant, "I have an idea!"

He led her back to the car and opened the door for him before getting into the driver's seat and starting the car. "Where to now?" Brooke asked, putting her seatbelt on.

"It's a surprise!" Nathan told her, driving away. They drove for about five minutes before pulling up in front of a building with the name Speedy's on the side.

"Nate! You remembered!" Brooke gasped. "Of course I remembered! We had our first kiss here!" he laughed, remembering his eighth birthday. His mother had agreed to let him have his birthday party here. Speedy's was a huge arcade that also had go-cart racing outside. Brooke and Peyton had been the only girls to be invited. Peyton hadn't even wanted to go, still mourning her mother's death, but Brooke had insisted they show up, hoping it would put Peyton in a better mood. Nathan had bet against Brooke, saying he could beat her in a go-cart race. Brooke, never one to back down from a bet, demanded that she could win, and if she did, he owed her a kiss!

As soon as she sped through the finish line ahead of him, she jumped out of her car and ran towards him yelling, "You owe me a kiss now!"

Nathan, embarrassed for having to kiss his best friend, quickly pecked her lips and then ran off towards the arcade, avoiding her for the rest of the day.

Brooke jumped out of the car and ran over to the fence, looking out on the go-cart track with a smirk on her face. "Bet I can still beat you!" she jested, turning to face him, leaning back on the fence while Nathan placed his arms on the fence on either side of her. "And what do you get if you win?" he asked with a smile. "A kiss!" she said seriously.

"Baby, you don't have to win a bet for that!" Nathan smirked before leaning down to kiss her.


	13. 10:It

**A/N: Hey guys! So this is a super long chapter! It was like 12 pages on my Word document. About 5,000 words! Longest chapter I've written! Thanks to everyone that has reviewed and is reading this story. It means a lot to me! You're the reason I do this! And thanks to Morgan! You have no idea how much you help me with every chapter! Love ya! Oh and I did write Tim kind of out of character. But to be honest, I always liked Tim and thought they should have used him as a bigger character instead of just a background character that didn't seem so smart. So I changed him a little for my story! Hope you like it!**

* * *

After Brooke's first date with Nathan on Saturday, she thought life couldn't get any better. That was until he showed up at Peyton's house the next morning with three of her favorite things: a vanilla iced coffee, a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, and a copy of "The Breakfast Club." He truly was the best boyfriend to her after that! After spending all of Sunday morning and afternoon lying in bed watching movies together, Nathan had decided to head home and work on some homework before school the next day.

Monday Morning:

"So you ready for this?" Peyton asked Nathan and Brooke. Nathan had just arrived at Peyton's and joined the two girls in Peyton's room. They were just waiting for Brooke to fasten the buckle on one of her heels before they rode to school together.

"Ready for what?" Brooke asked, looking up from her spot on the floor, still trying to fasten the buckle on her shoe.

"For your first introduction as a couple to Tree Hill High!" Peyton joked. Brooke just rolled her eyes as she stood up and strolled over to Nathan.

"With this one by my side, I'm ready for anything!" Brooke said, giving him a quick kiss.

"Gag me with a spoon!" Peyton laughed, "Please tell me I'm not going to have to deal with this sickeningly sweet crap all the time now?"

"Peyt, it's me, come on. When have I ever been sickeningly sweet?" Nathan asked, heading downstairs for Peyton's car with Brooke right behind him.

"Hey! You better be sweet to me or I'll push you down the stairs!" Brooke said, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

* * *

At THHS:

Peyton pulled into her normal parking spot, seeing Tim, Bevin, Skills, Mouth, Lucas, and Haley all sitting/standing around a table in the quad. The three friends all climbed out of the car and grabbed their bags before heading over to the table. Nathan took Brooke's hand in his, leaning down to whisper, "Here goes nothing!" with a slight laugh. When they stepped up to the table, they all went to say hello but were cut off by Tim jumping up on top of the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen! May I please present to you the new King and Queen of Tree Hill!" Tim shouted to everyone on the quad. Much to Brooke and Nathan's surprise and embarrassment, everyone but their friends started clapping and cheering. After a few seconds, Peyton, Tim, Skills, Bevin, and Mouth joined in on the cheering. Haley and Lucas just laughed, still feeling a little awkward around the new couple, their ex's.

"Tim! Stop it!" Brooke hissed, pulling his arm to get him off the table.

"What? It's true!" Tim said, jumping down to the ground to stand next to Peyton.

"Yeah, I mean, captain of the cheerleaders and star basketball player! You two were destined to be together!" Peyton joked.

"Kind of like you and me huh Peyt?" Time asked suggestively, slinging an arm around Peyton's shoulders. Everyone stopped to stare at what Peyton was going to do next.

"Tim! Get off me!" she shouted, shrugging his arm off her.

"That's not what you were saying the other night!" Tim said defensively. Everyone gaped at Tim and Peyton, waiting to see if Tim was telling the truth.

Peyton froze in her spot, glancing around to see all of her friends staring at her with wide eyes and open mouths. Deciding not to do this in front of everyone, she grabbed Tim's arm and dragged him away from everyone.

"Tim! I told you not to tell anyone! What the hell is wrong with you?" Peyton demanded once they were out of earshot.

"I'm sorry Peyt! I couldn't help it! It's just, that night was awesome and I really like you and I don't want to hide it anymore!" Tim told her.

"What are you talking about? Tim, we agreed that what happened was because we were both very drunk and it didn't mean anything!" Peyton exclaimed, noticing all of their friends behind them still staring, straining to hear their conversation.

"You thought I was telling the truth? Peyton, we've known each other a long time. You, me, Nate, and Brooke have all been friends since we were little. And I know you and B. were always closer to Nathan. But to be honest, I've always had a crush on you. Why do you think I've picked on you all these years?" Tim asked her.

"I thought you just liked bugging me!" Peyton said. Tim let out a laugh and replied, "I did! Because then you paid attention to me!"

Peyton could not believe she was hearing this. In all the years, she had known Tim, she had just seen him as Nathan's friend that hung around a lot. They were never that close or anything. Sure, there had been drunken moments that Tim would start hitting on her. But she always thought that was just because he was drunk. Of course, they do say people tell the truth more when they've been drinking. Peyton opened her mouth to say something when the bell interrupted her, signaling the start of the school day.

"I have to get to class," Peyton mumbled, walking away from Tim. Instead of stopping to wait for Brooke and Nathan like normal, she walked past them and hurriedly walked to her first class, not even bothering to stop at her locker.

"Baby, you go ahead. I'm going to talk to Tim," Nathan told Brooke. She just nodded her head and headed to her locker with Bevin and Skills by her side.

Nathan walked over towards Tim who was now sitting at a table with his head in his hands. At first, Nathan didn't want to say anything, but once Tim raised his head and Nathan saw the sad look on his face, he knew what he had to do.

"So you gonna tell me what happened?" Nathan asked, taking a seat across from Tim.

"Do I have to?" Tim asked quietly.

"Not really. But I know you. Something happened and it's bugging you. Did you and Peyton hook up?" Nathan questioned, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer.

"Yeah. It was last weekend. After everyone left and yall all went to bed, Peyton and I stayed up playing Power Hour. One thing led to another and you can figure out what happened. And we promised we wouldn't tell anyone until I go and screw everything up by telling everyone! And then screw it up even more by admitting to her that I've liked her since we were little. And for what? So she could walk away from me? This sucks!" Tim vented.

Nathan didn't know what to say. He had always suspected Tim of liking Peyton, especially while he was dating her. But he just chalked it up to Tim being himself. Boy was he wrong!

"Okay look, we both know how Peyton is when she's mad. She's gonna act all pissed for a few hours. So maybe you should just let her cool down today, and then try to talk to her tonight. Brooke and I have plans tonight so Peyton will be home alone. There's your opening," Nathan suggested. He stood up and grabbed his backpack before pulling Tim to his feet.

"Now come on! We're late for class!" Nathan laughed as they walked towards their lockers.

* * *

Later That Day:

Peyton had gone through her classes ignoring everyone, even her teachers. She even skipped lunch with everyone and sat in the library drawing. Brooke was starting to worry about her but Nathan reassured her that this was how Peyton was.

"She'll talk to you when she's ready babe. You know how Peyt is! I'm sure by the end of practice she will be fine!" Nathan told her as they walked towards the gym together.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Brooke mumbled. She gave him a quick kiss and then headed over to the cheerleaders. Nathan headed towards the locker room to get changed for practice. As soon as he entered the locker room, Tim rushed up to him.

"Have you talked to Peyton?" he asked frantically.

"No. Why?" Nathan asked, changing his shirt.

"It's just, I can tell she's mad at me. And it sucks! You know, when I passed her in the gym, I tried saying hi and she just turned away!" Tim told Nathan. Nathan just rolled his eyes and continued to get ready for practice.

"Tim, what did I tell you earlier? Just wait until later okay? Everything will be fine!" Nathan reassured him. He then turned and walked into the gym to start practice.

* * *

At Peyton's House:

Brooke was in her room getting ready to go out to dinner with Nathan while he and Peyton sat in her room listening to music. Well, she was listening to music, Nathan was playing on her computer. He was currently logged on Facebook talking to Tim on the instant messenger Facebook now had. Tim had just asked what time he should come by Peyton's house to talk to her.

"Hey Peyt, are you going anywhere tonight?" Nathan asked her, trying not to sound too suspicious.

"No, I've got too much homework for biology. Why we are forced to take a class we'll never need is beyond me! Why?" Peyton asked, looking up from her biology book.

"Just wondering! So, I talked to Tim earlier," Nathan started, hoping he could get her to open up to him a little.

"And your point would be?" Peyton asked, not even looking at him. She really didn't want to go into this topic with Nathan.

"No reason. It's just, he told me what happened Peyt. And he feels really bad about what he said this morning, too! Maybe you should just talk to him," Nathan suggested.

"Nathan, look, you're my best friend and I love you. But you have no idea what you're talking about. Okay? So just drop it!" Peyton told him with a slight attitude.

"I'm just saying is all!" Nathan said.

"Saying what Nathan? What are you _just_ saying?" Peyton demanded as she sat up on her bed and looked right at him.

"Nothing Peyt. Nothing at all. But you know, next time you start feeling all lonely and sorry for yourself because everyone around you is in a relationship and you're not, don't come crying to me! Tim likes you Peyton! He really likes you and you're just gonna pass him up? Well, then that's your problem, not mine!" Nathan exclaimed, signing off of Facebook and storming out of the room to leave Peyton to her thoughts. After another moment, she heard the front door close, signaling Nathan and Brooke leaving.

Not even five minutes later, Peyton heard the doorbell ring. Which was odd to her since everyone she knew would just walk in the door and up the stairs to her room. She set her book down and strolled down the stairs wondering who was at the door. Opening it, she saw a huge bouquet of assorted flowers, including her favorite, daisies. After taking in the beauty of the flowers, she noticed the person holding them: Tim.

"What are you doing here?" Peyton asked him. He handed her the flowers and walked into the house.

"Please, come on in," Peyton mumbled, walking into the kitchen to put the flowers on the table. Tim followed her and then started pacing the floor.

"Tim! I asked you what you are doing here!" Peyton shouted, standing in front of him to stop his pacing. Tim didn't know what to say, so instead of trying to find the words, he just grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her with everything he had.

At first, Peyton relaxed into his kiss. That is, until reality jumped in and she shoved him away.

"What's wrong with you? You come here with flowers and apparently no voice either and then just jump me? What the hell?" Peyton yelled at him.

"I'm so sorry Peyton! It's just, that's what you do to me! I can barely even form sentences when I'm around you. And you have to realize how sorry I am Peyt. I didn't mean to say what I said this morning. But you know how I am! Sometimes I don't think before I speak. And I know how you hate that, you've always told me. But that night was like a dream come true to me. You have no idea how long I've been wanting to just kiss you, let alone spend an entire night with you. And it wasn't about the sex either. Okay, that was amazing, don't get me wrong! But just being around you is enough for me. I just don't want you to…." Tim trailed off as he noticed Peyton start to smile.

"What?" he asked. Peyton slowly walked back towards him until she was almost nose to nose with him.

"Just shut up already Tim! You already had me with that kiss. I just couldn't let you get away with it!" she laughed before pressing her lips to his with as much passion as he had before.

* * *

Saturday Night:

Since Monday, word had spread about Tim and Peyton. No one knew exactly what they were. According to Peyton they were "having fun without any labels." Brooke and Nathan didn't know if that meant they were just friends with benefits or dating. But decided that as long as Peyton was smiling the way she was, they were happy for her. Of course, everyone was still slightly confused since it was Tim. But their close group of friends noticed a different kind of Tim when he was around Peyton. He was very considerate and affectionate. He opened doors for her, held her hand as they walked down the halls. He was still himself, still said the same lame jokes. But one thing everyone noticed was Peyton laughing at those jokes.

It had been a strange week for everyone so far. And it could only get worse for the kids of Tree Hill. Especially when you add alcohol into the mix. Almost the entire senior class and a few select juniors were all at the Scott family beach house for the weekend party. Lucas, Haley, Skills, Bevin, Mouth, and Junk were all lounging around the living room, laughing at all the drunk people. Nathan, Brooke, Tim, and Peyton were gathered around the kitchen with Theresa and Vegas. After taking a few shots all together, Brooke decided she needed a break.

"I'm going to get some air. I'll be back," Brooke announced.

"You want me to come with you?" Nathan asked as Vegas poured him another shot.

"No, it's okay. I'll just be a minute!" Brooke said as she walked through the living room and out onto the back patio. Haley noticed this and decided she needed some fresh air too. She quietly excused herself from Lucas and the others and went to stand next to Brooke, who was leaning on the railing looking out onto the beach.

"Hey," Haley greeted quietly. Brooke glanced over and saw who it was.

"Yes?" she asked with an attitude. Haley rolled her eyes and turned towards Brooke.

"Look, I know you're still mad. But I thought we should talk," Haley suggested.

"About what? How you stole my boyfriend? Or how you cheated on Nathan?" Brooke asked, turning to face Haley.

"Brooke, I'm sorry! Okay? I've said it a million times. But you know, you never even let me explain. So maybe you should back off until you hear the whole story!" Haley told her.

Brooke turned away to glare out at the ocean. A part of her did miss Haley, she was her Tutor Girl! But the other part was still hurt. Deciding to be the bigger person, Brooke said, "Fine, what is the whole story?"

Haley started at the beginning, the day of Keith's funeral. She explained that it was actually Lucas that started everything. Not that that absolved her of anything. She just needed Brooke to know that it was not her intention to have anything happen. She explained how she slowly started falling in love with her best friend, which is kind of what Nathan did, minus the whole sex part.

"So now you know! And I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you! But sometimes things happen that you can't control. Like me falling in love with Lucas. Or you and Nate getting together," Haley explained.

Brooke stood frozen for a moment to gather her thoughts. On one hand, she understood where Haley was coming from. Brooke had also fallen in love with her best friend. But she didn't go behind everyone's backs. So on the other hand, she didn't understand.

"Haley, look, I get that yall fell for each other. I just don't get why you couldn't tell us that before you started cheating. You could have saved everyone from getting hurt!" Brooke said before taking a big gulp of her beer. She didn't know if it was the best idea to have this talk tonight. She had already played two games of Beer Pong, one game of Quarters, and one round of Power Hour. She was pretty drunk and trying to hold it together.

"I know that. And I honestly don't have an explanation for why we didn't do that. I'm sorry. Can't we just go back to the way things were?" Haley asked, almost begging.

"No, sorry, but we can't go back. Too much has changed. But maybe we can start over. Slowly!" Brooke warned her with a slight laugh.

"Okay, that's fine! I'll take what I can get!" Haley laughed as Brooke walked away from her and back into the house. As she walked through the door, she noticed Nathan watching Tim and Peyton head off in the direction of one of the guest rooms.

"Baby, you've got that look like you just saw something really gross!" Brooke laughed as she walked up to him and put her arms around his waist.

"I did! Two of my best friends slinking off to have sex! That is gross!" Nathan said disgustingly, wrapping his arms around Brooke's shoulders and leaning down to give her a kiss.

"Where'd you go?" Nathan asked her after they parted. Brooke didn't really want to go into the whole Haley talk so she changed the topic.

"You know, I'm getting kind of tired, I think I might go lie down in your room. Care to join me?" she asked seductively. Nathan smirked at her before answering.

"I'll meet you there in a second. I'm just gonna tell Skills to watch after the place until everyone leaves!" he laughed as Brooke sauntered off.

About five minutes later Nathan walked into his room to find that the lights were already turned off. The room was barely illuminated by a candle that was on the night stand next to the bed. On the bed lay a partially naked Brooke Davis, clad in only a pair of hot pink boy shorts and a matching hot pink bra.

"Are you trying to seduce me Brooke Davis?" Nathan jokingly asked as he laid down next to Brooke, placing one arm under his head and the other across her stomach.

"Maybe. Is it working?" she smirked, turning towards him, pushing her hips up against his.

"Definitely!" he laughed, kissing her and pulling her on top of him. In less than five minutes, all their clothes were piled on the floor.

"You sure about this Brooke?" Nathan asked right before he entered her.

Brooke gazed into his eyes while whispering," I've never been more sure. I love you Nathan Scott. Now let me show you!" and pulling him into her. At that moment, Brooke knew she had never been happier.

* * *

One Month Later:

In one month, things hadn't changed that much for the teenagers of Tree Hill. Haley and Lucas were still going strong, as were Brooke and Nathan and Bevin and Skills. Tim and Peyton were also now officially a couple. Haley was starting to show a little. Brooke and Haley were well on their way to being good friends again. Brooke and Lucas also had a talk a few weeks ago and got things straightened out. Granted, she didn't automatically forgive her ex-boyfriend, but they are civil to one another. Nathan and Lucas on the other hand, get along for the sake of their friends.

Everyone was currently at lunch enjoying the last day before Christmas break started tomorrow.

"Baby, you want to do something tonight?" Tim asked Peyton, who was leaning up against his chest.

"I would love to babe, but I kind of already have plans," she answered, looking up at him.

"Yeah, Timmy! Peyt and I are having a girl's night! No boys allowed!" Brooke laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. He retaliated by tossing a chip at her. If it hadn't have been for Nathan stopping them, Brooke would have started a food fight.

"Anyways! Like I said, girls night! You can't come!" Brooke joked as Haley interrupted her.

"Can I come?" she asked quietly from her seat by Lucas. Brooke and Peyton exchanged glances. Peyton was about to say something but was interrupted by Haley again.

"Not that I'm trying to sound desperate and invite myself over! It's just, I've been surrounded by Luke and the guys for too long. It would be nice to be around you two again!" Haley told them. Everyone could see Brooke's eyes softening when Haley said that.

"Tutor Girl, we would love for you to join us!" Brooke said, using Haley's nickname for the first time in a while.

"Awesome! I'll bring over all the junk food!" Haley laughed, "Maybe I can even introduce yall to my favorite: vanilla ice cream and peanut butter!"

Brooke scrunched up her nose at the thought of that and said, "Haley, I swear if you mix those two together in front of me, I will puke!" as everyone laughed.

* * *

That Night:

Haley had shown up at Peyton's house about an hour earlier with a duffel bag of her clothes and two grocery sacks full of junk food. Brooke and Peyton welcomed her with open arms and the girls were now lounging in Peyton's room. Brooke was painting Haley's toenails for her while Peyton was trying on some of Brooke's clothes for fun.

"Brooke, are you okay? You look a little pale!" Haley said as Brooke looked up from what she was doing.

"Yeah, I'm okay. My stomach is kind of bothering me a little. I think it's this nail polish smell," Brooke replied as she put the last coat on the last toenail and closed the bottle.

"Maybe you're just hungry B. I mean, you did refuse to eat lunch when you saw it was sloppy Joe day in the cafeteria!" Peyton laughed as she twirled around in Brooke's designer jeans and hot pink spaghetti strap top.

"Oh God those looked gross. I swear I almost threw up just looking at them! And the smell was horrible! But no, I'm not hungry. I tried to eat when we got home, but I couldn't keep anything down. As soon as I took a bite of anything, I was rushing to the bathroom! And by the way, that popcorn smells disgusting! Maybe I'm coming down with the flu or something!" Brooke explained as Haley sat quietly, putting all the pieces together.

"Brooke, can I ask you a few questions?" Haley asked as Brooke nodded her head.

"Okay, so what did you try to eat?" Haley questioned her.

"Um, ice cream, some chips, and chocolate chip cookies! I love those too, the ones with the extra chocolate chips! And I couldn't keep them down!" Brooke whined.

"So some of your favorite foods are making you throw up and smell bad to you?" Haley asked her. Peyton figured out where Haley was going with this and got on the computer to look something up.

"Wait, Brooke, I have a question too! Have your boobs been hurting?" Peyton asked her.

"What? Why would you ask me something like that Peyt? And what are you reading?" Brooke asked as she walked over to the computer desk and looked at the computer screen.

"Pregnancy symptoms? Peyton that's not funny! I'm not pregnant! It's just the flu or something, I swear!" Brooke defended.

"I don't know Brooke. I mean, everything you described is what I felt when I found out! Maybe you should just take a test just to be sure!" Haley suggested.

"No! Because I'm not pregnant! Nathan and I are safe!" Brooke said frantically.

"So were me and Luke. And we all know what happened there!" Haley said sarcastically, gently placing a hand on her stomach.

Brooke stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. Contemplating the idea, she tried to remember when she had her last period. Her last period had ended two days before her and Nathan had sex for the first time. But surely that wouldn't matter because they had used protection right? Wait, did they? She couldn't remember!

"Oh my God! We have to go to the store!" Brooke shouted as they all grabbed their purses and threw on some shoes before running to Peyton's car in the driveway.

* * *

At The Store:

Brooke, Peyton, and Haley all ran from the car and into the local CVS as soon as Peyton put the car in park, not noticing Tim's car parked next to Lucas' in the parking lot. Running into the store, they quickly found the aisle with the pregnancy tests.

"Which one should we get?" Peyton asked, looking at Haley.

"Why are you asking me?" Haley asked curiously.

"Oh I don't know! Maybe because you're the pregnant one!" Brooke yelled in a whisper.

"Yeah, but I didn't pick the test out, Luke did! Besides, I took like five of them! Just grab a few and take them all, just to be sure!" Haley told her. Brooke grabbed three different kinds of tests, Peyton grabbed four, and Haley grabbed two before turning to walk towards the check out.

When they got to the end of the aisle that faced the check out, Brooke stopped in her tracks, making Peyton run into her from behind and Haley run into Peyton. They also dropped all the tests they were carrying from the impact.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Peyton asked as she bent down to pick up the tests she was carrying, Haley doing the same. When they stood back up, they noticed what made Brooke stop. Standing at the check out, now facing them, was Tim, Nathan, Lucas, and Skills. Apparently, they were there to buy some beer since this store didn't card anyone.

"Oh shit," Peyton mumbled, following the guys' gazes. They weren't even looking at the girls, but at the pregnancy tests in their arms.

"Are those what I think they are?" Tim asked as they all approached the girls.

"No. I mean yes! It's not what it looks like!" Haley stammered.

"Whose are they?" Nathan asked.

"Well we know they aren't H. James'! Girl's already knocked up!" Skills joked. All three guys and all three girls just glared at him with no amusement showing from their faces.

"Peyton, whose are they? Are you pregnant?" Tim asked. Peyton face went as white as a ghost as she replied, "God no!"

"Then whose are…."Tim started to ask as everyone's eyes moved to Brooke. She wouldn't look at anyone, especially Nathan.

Nathan slowly walked up to Brooke and lifted her chin lightly, making her look at him. When she looked up at him, he noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Brooke, are they?" Nathan whispered. She didn't know if she could form words so she just nodded her once slowly as more tears were released from her eyes. Nathan just pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, letting her sob into his chest.

"It's okay B.! We're going to get through this!" Nathan whispered in her ear. Peyton came up and took the tests from Brooke so she could go pay for them. Nathan and the others escorted Brooke out of the store and back over to Peyton's car, waiting for Peyton to join them.

Without a word, everyone silently agreed to go over to Peyton's house and wait for the results.

When they got to Peyton's house, the group quietly walked into the house and up the stairs, congregating in the hallway outside Peyton's room. Nathan and Brooke slipped inside Peyton's room together. Nathan sat down on the bed while Brooke took the bag of pregnancy tests into the bathroom.

After a few minutes she finally came out. She did notice everyone else was gathered in the room. Lucas and Haley were quietly whispering to each other in the doorway, their foreheads pressed together. Skills, Tim, and Peyton were all crowded on the bed. Nathan was sitting in Peyton's computer chair with his head in his hands.

Brooke walked over to Nathan and sat down in his lap, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Nate!" Brooke whispered in his ear.

"Don't apologize. Not yet. Let's just see what the tests say first!" Nathan suggested. After sitting in silence for a few more minutes, Brooke rose from his lap.

"It's time," Brooke whispered. Nathan stood and took her hand, following her into the bathroom. They closed the door to give them a moment of privacy.

The group in the bathroom all waited silently and impatiently for them to come out. After fifteen minutes, the bathroom door opened to reveal a crying Brooke and a teary-eyed Nathan.

"So?" Tim asked, standing from the bed.

* * *

**A/N: So what did you think? Let me know in your review! And since I'm at work and don't have time to write personal thank you's, I thought I would list all my reviewers and make on big thank you!**

**Rosseyanna**

**Scottjames23**

**KelaBelle**

**Mileycyrus13**

**Brook-Lucas-Fan-23**

**Brucasfan23**

**Rachtree**

**Tamarindo**

**And I do just have to say that I LOVE reading reviews from rachtree and tamarindo! Yall are my favorite reviewers! I always get long detailed reviews and they're great! So big thanks to you two!**


	14. 11:How dare you Nathan Scott!

**A/N: Okay, first of all, I have to apologize to my faithful and loyal readers and reviewers! I am so sorry it took me so long to update. I just honestly lost all inspiration for any of my stories for a while. But randomly, last night, after talking to Morgan, I got inspired! So thank you so much Morgan! Maybe now I can find some inspiration for "It's Perfect," and "I Was Made For You," also! Anyways, onto the story! Let me know how you feel about this one! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters! I also don't own the lines I borrowed from Twilight!**

* * *

_The group in the bathroom all waited silently and impatiently for them to come out. After fifteen minutes, the bathroom door opened to reveal a crying Brooke and a teary-eyed Nathan._

"_So?" Tim asked, standing from the bed._

There were three things Brooke was positive of. One, she was completely terrified at this moment. Two, she was definitely pregnant. And three, at the moment she saw the first positive pregnancy test, she realized she was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with the child inside of her. During those fifteen minutes alone in the bathroom with Nathan, there wasn't a single word spoken. They stood and cried together, lost in their own thoughts. But it was in those fifteen minutes that she came to the decision that she would be the best mother she could ever be. She just wasn't sure what Nathan was thinking or what he wanted now. His voice interrupted her thoughts suddenly and stopped her sobs.

"Brooke's pregnant," he said, dropping Brooke's hands and striding out the door quickly, snatching Tim's car keys off of Peyton's nightstand on his way out.

"Nathan!" Peyton shouted, running down the stairs to catch him at the door. Just as he went to shut the door behind him, her hand snaked out and stopped it.

"What?" he shouted.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Your girlfriend, the girl you said you loved more than anyone, just found out she's pregnant and you're just going to walk out?" Peyton vilely shot off at him.

"Peyt, don't lecture me. You have no right!" he spat back at her. Her eyes went wide before her hand shot out and slapped him across the face, not even giving him time to respond before she started shouting at him.

"How dare you Nathan Scott! I have no right? Both of you are my best friends! I have every right! You, however, have no right to treat Brooke that way. In fact, you don't even have a right to be here. Get out!" she yelled at him, shoving him violently out the door and slamming it in his face. She leaned back against the door with her hands over her eyes, trying to fight the tears for Brooke's sake. Brooke needed her support, not her tears.

"Peyton," she heard Tim whisper, his hands resting at her waist.

"Go after him," Peyton told Tim, wiping her eyes before looking up at him.

"Are you sure? I can stay here with you and B. if you want," he suggested, leaning his forehead against hers. She smiled at his sensitive side that not many people saw.

"No, it's okay. Thank you though. I need to be here for Brooke. Nathan needs you now. Take Luke and Skills and go find him. He'll probably be at the Rivercourt," Peyton explained.

"Okay. We'll bring him back. Don't worry," Tim reassured her, turning around to motion Lucas and Skills to the door. They had been standing at the top of the stairs, not too sure what to do. Skills immediately ran down the stairs, mainly just wanting to get away from the girls. He cared for Brooke, but right now, there was nothing he could do for her. He could help Nate though.

Peyton said bye to Tim and Skills and walked slowly back up the stairs, glancing at Lucas waving goodbye to Haley on his way out. She entered her bedroom, almost scared to see what condition Brooke was in. She was lying in the fetal position on the middle of Peyton's bed, tears rolling down her face. Haley was sitting up behind her, running her fingers through Brooke's hair, trying to keep her small baby bump from hitting Brooke's back. Peyton could hear Haley whispering to Brooke, but couldn't make out the words. Peyton slowly made her was onto the bed, lying down in front of Brooke, who had her eyes closed.

Oh B. Davis! Are you okay?" Peyton asked, not sure of what Brooke's answer would be. When Brooke was this upset, she could do one of two things: be very emotional and cry a lot, or get angry and yell a lot.

Brooke opened her eyes to see Peyton lying in front of her with tears of her own. She wasn't too sure what to say. On one hand, she was emotional at the fact that she just learned she was pregnant. But on the other hand, she couldn't believe the way Nathan had acted.

"How could he Peyt? He just walked out! He didn't even ask me how I felt about it! He just left me!" Brooke sobbed. Instinct took over, as well as her need to protect her best friend, and she leaned over and gathered Brooke in a hug.

"I know B. It's going to be okay. Tim, Luke, and Skills went after him. They're going to bring him back so you two can talk!" Peyton explained to Brooke, trying to get her crying to calm down.

"Yeah, Brooke, I'm sure he didn't even mean to walk out. I'm sure he was just shocked and not too sure of what to say. I mean, you remember what Luke did when I told him I was pregnant! He'll come back and make things right with you, you'll see!" Haley said, trying to reassure her.

"Thanks Hales," Brooke whispered.

"And if he doesn't make things right, I'll just slap him again!" Peyton said, trying not to laugh at Brooke's face after she said that.

"You slapped him?" Brooke asked with a slight smile on her face. Haley stifled a laugh at her reaction.

"Hell yes! You hurt my B. Davis; I will beat your ass!" Peyton laughed, relieved to see that Brooke's tears had stopped and she was now giggling along with her and Haley.

* * *

At the Rivercourt:

Tim, Lucas, and Skills pulled up to the Rivercourt in Lucas' car too see Nathan standing center court, staring up at the basketball hoop. He had a basketball in his hands, spinning it as he stared at the hoop. As they walked up behind him, Nathan suddenly turned around and threw the basketball as hard as he could. All three guys ducked out of the way quickly so as not to get hit by the ball.

"Sorry," Nathan mumbled as the guys reached him. He ran a hand through his barely there hair, contemplating what to say. He knew he was wrong to leave. But he didn't know what to do at the time. His girlfriend was pregnant. What was he supposed to say?

"Nate, look, Peyton asked us to come after you," Tim told him as Nathan rolled his eyes.

"You mean the Peyton that bitch slapped me and threw me out of her house?" Nathan sneered.

"What did you really expect Nate? You walked out on Brooke!" Lucas said, stepping forward.

"Don't even start Lucas! I don't want to hear your self-righteous talk, or hear you talk about Brooke like you even care what is going on between us! Especially after you knocked up her best friend! So screw you Luke!" Nathan shouted. Lucas was fuming at this point and got up in Nathan's face as he started shouting at him.

"No, screw you Nate! You don't have to remind me that I got Haley pregnant! I'm reminded every time I see her. And yes, I admitted that cheating on Brooke was a mistake. So you can quit throwing that back in my face. You're with Brooke now! Not Haley! So maybe it's time for you to start sticking up for Brooke instead of Haley!" Lucas yelled at him.

Tim and Skills stood a few feet away from them, not knowing what to do.

"Should we stop them?" Tim asked quietly.

"Naw. Let 'em go at it. They need this!" Skills whispered back as Tim chuckled.

"I know I'm with Brooke now! _You_ don't have to remind _me_ of that! Actually, why don't you just deal with your own pregnant girlfriend and leave mine alone!" Nathan spat.

"I'll leave yours alone when you start dealing with it!" Lucas said, pushing Nathan back a little.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Nathan pushed back.

"Someone has to! It's not like you're doing what you should!" Lucas shouted as Nathan took a swing at him. He ducked down and missed Nathan's punch. That's when Tim and Skills rushed forward and got in between the two. Skills held Lucas back while Tim held Nathan back. Unfortunately, when Tim tried to hold Nathan away from Lucas, he also received a punch in the eye.

"Damn it Nathan! Stop!" Tim screamed at him. Nathan had never heard Tim yell at him like that before. Just hearing it made him straighten up and stare at him.

"Look, I know yall have shit between yall. But right now, that's not important! What is important is the fact that your girlfriend, the girl that we have been best friends with since we were little, is probably still crying her eyes out at Peyton's! She's probably freaking out over the fact that she _just_ found out she is pregnant! And _you,_ you're here starting a fight with your brother because you're freaked out too! We get that Nate! But this isn't what you should be doing! You should be at Peyton's house right now trying to calm Brooke down!" Tim shouted at him as Nathan sank to the ground in realization of what Tim was saying. Tim sat down next to him and softened his voice then.

"It's Brooke, man. You know, the girl that used to buy you a card before every basketball game just to say good luck. The girl that boycotted Valentine's Day every year because she never had a boyfriend, even though you still bought a Valentine's card for her. The girl that you just started dating and claim to be insanely in love with!" Tim said quietly, earning a small smile from Nathan with everything he said.

"You're right. I gotta go!" Nathan said hurriedly as he grabbed Tim's keys out of his pocket and ran to the car, Tim on his heels. Lucas and Skills walked slowly to Lucas' car and followed them to Peyton's house.

When Nathan screeched to a stop in front of Peyton's house, he didn't even bother to turn the car off before he was running up the front steps of the house. Tim rolled his eyes and got the keys out of the ignition before following him. Lucas and Skills walked in a few moments later. When they walked through the front door, they saw Nathan running up the stairs to Peyton's room, yelling Brooke's name.

"Brooke! Brooke, where are you?" Nathan shouted, checking her room first. When he saw it was empty, he ran to Peyton's room to see Peyton on the computer, Haley sitting on the bed reading a magazine, and Brooke sleeping next to her. Peyton and Haley looked up as he walked in the room.

"Brooke," he whispered as Peyton stood and walked towards him.

"Nate, don't! She just fell asleep!" she told him as Brooke opened her eyes slowly to see Nathan and Peyton standing by the bed in front of her.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly, sitting up and swinging her legs off the side of the bed.

"B. we need to talk," Nathan told her.

"Okay. Let's go in my room," she mumbled, running a hand through her hair as she stood and went to her room down the hall.

* * *

In Peyton's Room:

"Baby, what the hell happened to your eye?" Peyton asked as Tim walked into the room with Lucas and Skills.

"It's nothing babe. Nate and Luke almost got into it and I tried to stop it. I got in the middle of it when Nate was swinging a punch. No big deal!" he explained to her, giving her a quick kiss.

"No big deal? I'm really gonna kick his ass now!" Peyton fumed.

"Really P. Sawyer, Tim's right!" Skills told her, taking a seat on the bed with Haley and Lucas, "We stopped the fight before it started."

"I can't believe you tried to start a fight with Nathan! I told you not to!" Haley scolded Lucas as he kissed her temple before leaning down to whisper, "Hi Baby!" to her stomach and place a kiss there too.

"Okay, that might have been the most adorable thing you've ever done. But the point is, Luke, I told you not to fight with Nathan!" Haley laughed as he sat up straight, ready to defend himself.

"I didn't exactly start a fight. I simply tried to talk some sense into him. Of course, he got pissed and we both started yelling. Next thing I know, him and Tim are sitting on the court talking about Brooke and them growing up together. So Nathan just jumps up and leaves. You should have seen it; Tim barely had time to jump in the car before Nathan took off!" Lucas told everyone, earning laughs around the room.

"You think they'll be okay?" Peyton asked, mainly directing her question at the only other person that knew them the best; Tim.

"I hope so!" he whispered. Before anyone else had a chance to say anything else, they heard yelling coming from Brooke's room.

"Maybe not," Haley mumbled, everyone falling silent, trying to hear what was being said.

* * *

In Brooke's Room:

"What do you mean you want to keep it?" Nathan asked surprisingly.

"Exactly what I said, I want to keep the baby!" Brooke shouted at him, starting to pace the floor of her room.

"Brooke, we can't keep this baby. We're still in high school! We have our whole lives ahead of us to have kids. But not now! Not this baby!" Nathan said loudly.

"Not this baby? Why not? Why is it okay to have a baby when we're older but you want to kill this one?" Brooke asked, shocked that he wanted an abortion.

"Brooke, listen, we have too much going on in our lives without a baby to deal with! I have basketball and you have your fashion line to worry about! How are we supposed to accomplish anything with a baby?" Nathan asked her, trying to reason.

"How dare you Nathan Scott!" he heard for the second time that night, "This is our child Nathan! The child we made from the love we share! And you want to tell me to kill it just so you can play basketball and I can design clothes? I can do that with or without a child!" she yelled.

"How Brooke? How are you going to find the time to design anything, find an investor to put up the money for it, start up the business, and franchise it to every major city in the U.S. like you want to if you have a screaming, crying baby constantly attached to your hip? Tell me that!" he shouted back at her.

"Well, I would hope I had my boyfriend and father of that baby to help me! But I guess that's too much to ask!" she sneered.

"Yeah I guess it is! Get rid of it Brooke. I mean it!" he yelled at her, storming out of her room and down the stairs with Brooke on his heels. Everyone else then came out of Peyton's room and walked to the stairs, huddled on the stairway to hear the rest of the fight. By this time, Nathan was standing on the front porch and Brooke was in the doorway.

"I'm not getting rid of it Nathan! This is my child and if you don't want anything to do with that, then fine! We don't want or need you either! I can raise this child on my own with none of your help!" Brooke shouted, slamming the door and turning to see everyone cramped together on the stairs. She sighed, not knowing what to say to anyone. Tim, noticing no one else knew what to say either, decided to take the first step. He squeezed past Peyton and Skills, and wrapped Brooke up in a hug, comforting the girl he always thought of as a sister.

"It's okay B. We'll be here for you either way," he whispered as she started sobbing once again.

* * *

Without even realizing it, Nathan had once again ended up at the Rivercourt. Of course, this time he had to walk to get there. He took a seat on the picnic bench, staring out at the water, not knowing what to do or what to think. He had no idea how life got to this point. Okay, well, obviously, he knew how they physically got to this point. But how did it get so messed up? One minute, he was living a great life. He had great friends, was the star basketball player, had the hottest, most popular girlfriend in school, and was just incredibly happy and content with his life. He had the world at his hands.

Now, there were only three things he was absolutely positive of. One, he was sure his friends now hated him for the way he acted. Two, he was beginning to turn into Dan. And three, he was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with the girl he was pretty sure just broke up with him.

* * *

**A/N: So did you like it? Press that little button down there and let me know! And thanks to my amazing readers and reviewers! I love you guys! Thanks especially to:**

**Othhillfan**

**KelaBelle**

**SunshineQueen**

**Brook-Lucas-Fan-23**

**Mileycyrus13**

**Kay0340**

**Kerlifan**

**Rachtree**

**FighterFan**

**Princetongirl**

**Tamarindo**

**Jessieclaire**

**And of course, to Morgan! You have no idea how much your words of advice helped me write this chapter! You are my little fortune cookie! lol**


	15. 12:Because you're an ass!

**A/N: Oh my God! Another chapter! Lol…Thanks to the amazing reviews I got for chapter 11, I was so excited that I wrote this chapter in about an hour! I hope it's good! Let me know what yall think! **

* * *

Monday Morning:

"Brooke! Get you lazy ass out of bed! We're going to be late for school!" Peyton screamed from the kitchen. Sunday had gone by uneventfully, everyone avoiding the topic.

"I'm not going!" Brooke yelled back at her, hiding her head under the covers. She counted to three and then heard Peyton's footsteps on the stairs.

"Brooke Davis, I am not going to let you do this! Yes, you are pregnant. Yes, you feel sick. And yes, you and Nathan aren't speaking right now. But that is no reason to give up on your education! Your child is depending on it!" Peyton told her as she yanked the comforter off of the bed and threw it on the ground, "Now get up and get dressed! And please do something with your hair. You look like you stuck your finger in a light socket!"

"Yes Mother!" Brooke shouted at her as Peyton left the room to finish gathering her things. Brooke slowly stood from her bed, trying to fight the nausea she felt. She knew Peyton was right. She needed to get a good education so she could provide for her child. Especially since the stupid father didn't want anything to do with it.

"He's an idiot," she grumbled as she started brushing her hair.

"Who's an idiot?" she heard a male voice ask from behind her. Tensing, afraid it was Nathan; she slowly turned, only to see Tim standing there.

"_Your_ best friend!" she said with a fake smile, starting to apply her makeup.

"Oh so growing up, you claimed him all to yourself. But now that he's upset you, he's mine?" Time joked, taking a seat on Brooke's bed.

"Upset me? Timmy, he did more than upset me! He told me to kill my child!" she said with a slight attitude.

"Okay, Brookie, don't take it out on me!" Tim replied, holding his hands up in defense, "I'm not taking his side! I'm just saying maybe yall should talk about this some more."

"No, he said enough! I don't even want to look at him! Now can you get out? I need to get dressed," Brooke said venomously. Tim chuckled lightly before walking out, shaking his head as he did. Walking downstairs, he found Peyton sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. He grabbed a bowl out of the cabinet and a spoon from the drawer before making his own breakfast.

"Help yourself!" Peyton joked as he took a seat next to her and started eating.

"Thanks!" he laughed, "So, how bad do you think it's gonna be?"

"Honestly? Horrible! They're going to do one of two things: cause a huge fight at lunch, or completely ignore each other," Peyton explained, not hearing Brooke walk into the room.

"Well, you can make a bet on me ignoring him! I want nothing to do with him!" Brooke said with a fake smile, grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge.

"B! Come on, you can't do this. It's Nate we're talking about. You need to talk to him," Tim said, trying to reason with her.

"Timmy, you can stop right now. It's not going to work! He should have known better. Now are we going to school or not?" she asked, not waiting for an answer as she walked outside and got in Peyton's car.

* * *

Tree Hill High School:

"Yo Nate!" Skills shouted as he saw Nathan walking up to the group. So far, it was only Skills, Lucas, Haley, and Mouth there. He looked around for Brooke but didn't see her yet.

"She's not here yet Nathan," Haley said quietly as he sat down at the table, waiting for the bell to ring, "How are you holding up?"

"Me? I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" Nathan said with a smirk. Everyone at the table rolled their eyes.

"Nate, you don't have to pretend with us. We were there, we know what you're going through," Lucas told him, noticing Peyton, Tim, and Brooke walking up behind Nathan.

"No Luke, you have no idea what I'm going through! You and your girlfriend are having a baby! Not fighting over one that shouldn't even exist in the first place!" he vilely said, standing up and turning around to leave, coming face to face with a very pissed off Brooke Davis. His eyes went wide as he saw the anger in her eyes. Before either one could say something, Tim jumped between them, just as the bell rang to star the day.

"Nathan! Come on man, let's get to class!" Tim said quickly, dragging Nathan away from Brooke.

"Brooke, I'm sure he didn't mean it," Haley told her as everyone gathered their things, ready to head to class.

"No, he did. You don't have to stick up for him Hales. He made his decision and I made mine. It's fine, really!" Brooke said, trying to convince herself also, "Let's just go to class."

* * *

The day was moving too slow for Brooke's likes. They were only in third period. Thankfully, lunch was next. She was starving! And she decided to be smart and bring her own lunch today. As soon as the bell rang, she jumped out of her seat, desperate to get out of her government class. She almost ran to her locker to drop her bag off and grab her lunch, deciding to meet Peyton at their regular table instead of waiting at her locker. When she walked into the cafeteria, she was surprised to see Peyton already at their table with Tim and Lucas there too.

Slowly, one by one, their table started filling up with the regulars: Skills, Bevin, Mouth, Haley, and eventually Nathan. When he walked up to the table and saw Brooke sitting there, quietly munching on some crackers, he grabbed his backpack off the table and walked away, sitting down at a table across the cafeteria. Brooke watched him go with a sad look. Everyone's eyes were on her, waiting to see what would happen.

"Timmy, Peyt, yall should go sit with Nathan," she told them. Their eyes went wide with surprise at this.

"Why?" Peyton asked incredulously.

"Look, I know he hurt me. A lot. But he's still going to need you guys. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine! I've got everyone else here. Just go," she explained to them. They silently picked up their lunches and their school bags and walked over to join Nathan at his secluded table across the room.

"What are yall doing?" Nathan asked them as they sat down, "Aren't you on Team Brooke?"

"Nate, just because you and Brooke are fighting doesn't give you a right to be rude to us. We didn't do anything wrong!" Peyton defended herself and her boyfriend.

"Oh so slapping me wasn't wrong?" Nathan asked.

"No, it wasn't! You deserved it! And if you keep acting like an ass instead of the Nathan I know, I'll do it again! This isn't you Nate. You're better than this!" Peyton told him, trying to calm her temper.

"Yeah, well, maybe you're wrong!" Nathan shot back, getting angrier by the second. Yes, Peyton was one of his best friends. But this pregnancy issue was something that should have been kept between him and Brooke until they decided what they were going to do. Their supposed friends needed to learn to mind their own business.

"No, Nate, she isn't wrong. We've been friends a long time and I'm pretty sure we know you better than anyone, except Brooke. You two were always closer. So maybe both of you just need to calm down and talk to each other. She's already said she won't get an abortion. You already knew she was against abortion in the first place. So demanding she get one was your first mistake! But maybe yall can think about adoption? I mean, she would still have the baby, but you could give it to a family that could provide for it better than you and Brooke could!" Tim suggested. He hated seeing two of his best friends fighting like this.

"Excuse me? I'm not giving up my baby. I just came over here to tell Nathan that I have a doctor appointment on Thursday. But now I hear my friends trying to convince him about adoption? I can't believe you guys!" Brooke scoffed as she stood by Nathan.

"Brooke, I'm not trying to convince him of anything! It's just an option!" Tim said, hoping to not piss off his hormonal, pregnant friend.

"No, it's not an option! It's not even up for discussion! Nathan, as I was saying, I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday at four. You can come if you want. If not, that's fine too," she told him. He thought for a moment before replying.

"Are you getting an abortion?" he questioned, eyebrows raised. Peyton's jaw dropped, not believing he just asked her that after the conversation they just had.

"No, I'm not getting rid of it! Do you not listen when someone talks to you?" Brooke asked viciously.

"If you're not getting rid of it, then I don't care. I'm out of here," he mumbled, grabbing his backpack and walking out of the cafeteria, deciding to skip the rest of the day.

"Peyt, you mind if I just head out? I'm really not feeling well anymore," Brooke said quietly, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"Sure, here take my car! We'll get a ride home from Luke," Peyton answered, digging her car keys out of her bag and handing them to Brooke.

* * *

When Brooke pulled up to Peyton's house, she exited the car and headed straight upstairs, grabbing a few blankets, ready to create their makeshift bed even thought she was by herself. Entering the living room, she was startled to see Nathan sprawled out on the couch, flipping through the channels on TV.

"What are you doing?" she growled, dropping the blankets on the floor.

"I couldn't go home, Dan was there," he shrugged, "Now, could you move over? You're in my way."

"Sure!" Brooke said politely, ripping the remote out of his hand and hitting him over the head with it before she left the room.

"What was that for?" Nathan asked loudly, scrambling to follow her up the stairs towards her room.

"Because you're an ass!" she answered, closing her bedroom door in his face. Deciding not to put up with that from her, he opened the door to see her sitting on the edge of her bed in tears. A part of his heart slowly started to break. Sure, they were fighting and he was mad at her. But he hated to see her cry.

"Nathan, just get out! I don't care if you stay here, but please just leave me alone," she cried, trying to wipe the tears and eyeliner from her eyes, ending up with a black mess on her hands.

"Brooke, what did you expect from me when we saw those tests were positive? You thought I would jump for joy or something?" Nathan asked, dripping with sarcasm.

"Nathan, I'm not exactly happy about it either! But I did expect at least a little support from you. Instead, you just walked out! You sat in that bathroom and cried with me for fifteen minutes! But the minute we admit to anyone that I'm pregnant, you bolt! What do you expect from me?" Brooke asked, trying to keep her tears at bay. She hated crying in front of Nathan. She hated letting him see her vulnerable side like that.

"I expected a little understanding about our futures! How are we supposed to raise a baby and go to college? Or the NBA? Or run a fashion line? There's no way Brookie," he said, hoping that by using her nickname would help him in the long run.

"Don't call me that. You don't get to anymore. You can go to college and then go on to the NBA. You have nothing to worry about! I, on the other hand, will be raising _my_ child. Without you! You no longer have any ties to me or this child! So get out!" she yelled, trying to push him out of her bedroom while starting to cry.

Without thinking, she started to pound her fists against his chest in anger. Nathan stood there and let her do it, knowing she was hurting. No matter how bad their fights were, he always cared more about her feelings than his own. Soon, the fist pounding stopped and she just laid her forehead against his chest, sobbing loudly. Nathan slowly and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, enjoying the feeling of Brooke in his arms again.

"It's okay B. It's going to be okay," Nathan whispered, not sure if he was telling the truth. Brooke raised her head and looked him in the eyes, immediately doubting his words.

"How can you even tell me that? How can you stand here and comfort me and tell me everything is going to be okay? You, the one that told me our child shouldn't even exist!" she spat, instantly recoiling from his touch.

"Brooke, come on, don't pull away from me. We need to talk," Nathan said quietly, reaching his hand out for her

"No, Nathan, we don't. Just get out," she whispered, walking into her bathroom and slamming the door.

* * *

**So what did you think? Review and let me know!!**


	16. 13: The father was running late!

**A/N: Hey guys! So once again, I got so excited about your reviews that it inspired me to write this chapter in like an hour again! And I noticed that I've finally gotten 100 reviews! I was so excited! Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! I wasn't too fond of it. Let me know what you think! And Morgan, thanks for always helping me out when I need it!**

* * *

"_Brooke, come on, don't pull away from me. We need to talk," Nathan said quietly, reaching his hand out for her_

"_No, Nathan, we don't. Just get out," she whispered, walking into her bathroom and slamming the door._

Hearing the bathroom door slam shut, Nathan didn't know what else to do. He wanted to march into that bathroom and comfort Brooke but he knew he couldn't. She didn't want him to. He turned around and left the room feeling defeated. Walking outside, he realized that school would be over soon. Since there was no practice today, he knew Tim and Peyton would be arriving shortly. He decided to take a seat on the front porch and wait for them to show up.

* * *

One Hour Later:

"Nate? What are you doing here?" Peyton asked as her and Tim were dropped off by Lucas. Seeing Nathan on the porch, Lucas chose not to say.

"Dan was home today, I couldn't go home. I came here. I didn't know Brooke was coming home, I swear!" he told them, raising his hands in defense. He definitely didn't want to be slapped by Peyton again.

"Did you two fight again?" Tim asked as they walked into the entryway.

"Sort of. It's a long story. Look, I know she doesn't want me here so I'm gonna go. I'll see you guys tomorrow," he mumbled, walking to his car and heading home. Peyton and Tim dropped their bags off in her room before making their way over to Brooke's, knocking lightly on the door. Hearing nothing, they quietly opened the door and peeked in. Brooke was laying on top of her covers in a deep sleep. Knowing she probably needed the sleep, Peyton gently covered her with the throw blanket on her bed before leaving the room again.

"I hope she's okay," Tim muttered, lying down on Peyton's bed, her lying next to him.

"Brooke's strong, she'll be okay! I, on the other hand, need your help right now!" Peyton said in a mischievous tone. Tim turned towards her with eyebrows raised.

"Oh really? What can I do for you?" he asked with a grin, turning on his side and wrapping one arm around her waist.

"See, I have a problem! I have this great boyfriend. But lately, he's been so concerned about our other two friends that I have hardly even gotten a kiss from him. And I really need more than that right now!" she said, trying to keep her serious face on.

"What a horrible boyfriend! I should kick his ass!" he joked, earning a giggle from Peyton, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh, I'm sure there's lots you can do for me!" Peyton laughed, leaning forward to capture his lips with her own.

* * *

Two Days Later:

"Tim, are you ever going to go back to your own house?" Brooke asked jokingly, walking into Peyton's room that morning to see him sprawled out on her bed. She made her way into Peyton's closet to look for a shirt to borrow, saying, "I mean, you even have your own drawer in Peyton's dresser and space in her closet! Are you sure you didn't move in and not tell me?"

"Very funny Davis! Now can you get out so I can get dressed?" he asked with a laugh.

"Ew, you're naked? Peyton, yall gross me out!" Brooke jested, leaving the room in a hurry so she wouldn't see one of her best friends naked.

She finished getting ready and decided to try to eat some breakfast while she waited for Peyton and Tim to get ready. Finding a box of Froot Loops in the cabinet, she poured herself a bowl and sat down at the table. However, her stomach had another agenda. After the first bite, she could feel her stomach start turning. Before she knew it, she was jumping up and running to the bathroom just in time.

Peyton walked into the kitchen to find a full bowl of Froot Loops and no Brooke. Hearing something coming from the downstairs bathroom, she walked over and put her ear to the door.

"B. You alright?" she asked through the door, hearing the sound of vomiting answer her. Eyes wide, she burst into the bathroom, taking a seat behind Brooke to hold her hair back.

"Baby doesn't like Froot loops!" Brooke mumbled, wiping her mouth with a wad of toilet paper and leaning back into Peyton.

"Oh, Brooke! It's okay, we'll find something that Baby will like!" she told her, Brooke groaning at the suggestion.

"I don't know if I can eat anything right now. Maybe at lunch," she suggested as they stood, Brooke going back upstairs to brush her teeth again. A few minutes later, they all headed to school.

* * *

Later That Day:

The day had gone by smoothly so far for Brooke. She had successfully avoided Nathan. Even during the classes they had together, he could tell she didn't want to talk to him so he didn't even bother. Unfortunately, it was now lunchtime and it would be harder to avoid one another. Walking into the cafeteria, Brooke noticed her friends at their regular table, minus a few people. Nathan was still sitting at the table across the cafeteria from them with Peyton and Tim. Peyton saw her and smiled before returning her attention to the guys.

Settling down at the table with everyone, she pulled her lunch from her bag that consisted of dry saltines and ginger ale.

"Morning sickness?" Haley guessed, seeing her lunch of choice. Brooke rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Don't worry; it'll be over in your second trimester!" Haley cheered as Brooke started nibbling on her crackers. Everyone continued their conversations while Brooke tried to do the calculations in her head. She would start her second trimester in about two more months. Two more months of morning sickness? Brooke wasn't sure she could handle that!

"Hey Brooke, can I talk to you for a second?" Lucas asked, standing behind Brooke. She looked up at him, nodding her head yes before following him to an empty table about ten feet away. It was also at that moment that Nathan was leaving the cafeteria, about to pass their friends, and noticed this.

"So what's up?" Brooke asked as they sat down.

"Listen, I know things ended really badly between us. And I know things aren't very good between you and Nathan right now either. But, if you'll let me, I'd still like to be there for my niece or nephew!" Lucas said as her eyes went wide.

* * *

"What is Lucas doing with Brooke?" Nathan asked Haley, not even bothering to say hi.

"Nathan, it's nothing. They're just talking!" Peyton said from behind him as she sat down next to Haley.

"Yeah, Lucas is just letting Brooke know he's there for her and the baby if she needs anything. We both are!" Haley told him. She saw his jaw clench as she said that before he stalked off towards the gym.

* * *

"Luke, thank you. You're right, things did end very badly! And yes, Nathan and I are, well, I don't really know what's going on with us. But I appreciate the offer! I would love for this baby to have a great uncle like you had Keith!" Brooke said as she gave him a quick hug. They joined their friends after a few moments. The day then went on uneventfully for Brooke.

After school, she would normally head over to the gym for cheerleading practice. But after finding out she was pregnant, she decided to quit the team and hand over captain to Peyton and Bevin. So instead of going to the gym, she took Peyton's car home, knowing she would get a ride home from someone else.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the gym, things were starting to heat up. The cheerleaders were all gathered along the sidelines waiting for something to happen. The basketball team was split between the two boys, holding each back. Coach Whitey was still in his office and had no idea this was going on.

"What the hell is your problem?" Lucas shouted at Nathan as Skills held him back.

"My problem? My problem is that you feel the need to be there for the girl you left! Brooke is my girlfriend so leave her alone!" Nathan yelled back at him as Tim held him away from Lucas. The team decided to hold them back from fighting but let them yell at each other and get it all out.

"Maybe if you were there for her, I wouldn't have to be!" Lucas sneered, trying to get out of Skills' grasp.

"It's none of your business whether I'm there or not! In fact, it's none of your business to be there for the baby either!" Nathan shot back, earning a few gasps from the people that didn't know Brooke was pregnant.

"Why not? It's not like you want anything to do with her! Or the baby for that matter. So I'm going to step up! I'll be a dad to my child and a great uncle to Brooke's child!" Lucas shouted, seeing the fury in Nathan's eyes.

"That's my child! Not yours! Leave her and the baby the hell alone! It's not your job to take care of them, it's mine!" Nathan screamed, his eyes going wide as he realized what he said. Everyone else that knew the situation between Brooke and Nathan were just as surprised.

"It's about time you admitted it! Maybe you should tell Brooke that too!" Lucas said just as Whitey walked into the gym.

"What the hell is going on? I thought I told you two to quit fighting! Suicides! Now!" he yelled, his face red with anger. He was so tired of breaking up fights between the Scott brothers. Practice went on without any interaction between Lucas and Nathan. They stayed clear of each other, not wanting to anger Whitey anymore than he was.

* * *

The Next Day:

Brooke walked down the hall with Peyton and Haley on their way to English. She couldn't help but notice everyone pointing at her and whispering.

"Okay, what the hell is going on? Why is everyone looking at me like I have three eyes?" Brooke demanded from the two girls beside her. They both tried to feign innocence, looking at her with curious looks on their faces.

"I have no idea. Brooke, it's high school, you know how it is! People talk. I'm sure it's just another stupid rumor!" Haley said, trying not to let Brooke find out about the fight between Nathan and Lucas yesterday. Haley, Tim, and Peyton had decided it was best to not tell Brooke what Nathan had said. He could tell her when he was ready.

"Oh God, I hope not! I hate rumors!" Brooke exclaimed, taking her seat in class, Peyton, Tim, Haley, and Lucas filling in around her. Nathan took his normal seat across the room from them that he had been assigned earlier this year.

"So, your first appointment is today right?" Haley asked her after the teacher told them they could have a free period to do anything. Peyton was drawing, with Tim trying to see what she was doing. Lucas, Haley, and Brooke were huddled together talking, not noticing Nathan pretending not to care.

"Yeah! I'm kind of nervous! What are they going to do?" Brooke questioned her, knowing she had already gone through this.

"Not much. They'll do the first exam to tell you exactly how far along you are. Probably prescribe you some vitamins and talk to you about how things are going. And you might get to hear the heartbeat if it's not too early to hear it yet!" Haley told her with a smile. Brooke's eyes brightened hearing that.

"Really? That would be so awesome!" Brooke squealed.

"It really is! I was with Haley when we heard it the first time. I literally cried! It's one of the most amazing things I've ever heard! There's no way to describe it!" Lucas gushed with a grin. Haley's eyes moistened at hearing him become so sensitive about their baby.

"Hey, Luke, I have a favor to ask of you. Both of you really. Remember how you said you wanted to be there for me and the baby?" Brooke asked as Lucas nodded his head, "Well, I was wondering if you would go with me to the appointment. I'm really nervous about it and having one of you with me would really help. I would ask Peyton or Tim but they both have practice and can't miss it."

"I'd love to Brooke, but I have to work right after school at the café!" Haley told her, looking at Lucas, waiting for him to respond.

"Yeah, I'll go!" he cheered.

"Really? You don't mind Haley?" Brooke asked her to be sure.

"Of course not Brookie! I mean, we will be the baby's aunt and uncle! So I would love for one of us to be there for you!" she replied.

Brooke's smile widened at this, happy to have someone there with her. She hesitated, glancing over at Nathan, but he wasn't looking at her. She had really hoped he would decide to be a part of the baby's life and surprise her. But that was obviously not happening.

Oh, how she missed him! Granted, she was still mad at him for the way he acted. But it was Nathan! Her best friend and boyfriend. And now the father of her child. She needed him to be there with her; to hold her hand as they heard the heartbeat and realize that she was carrying a real human being that would be all theirs in eight months.

* * *

Nathan couldn't believe what he had just heard. Not only did Lucas say he wanted to be there for Brooke and the baby, but now he was going to her first doctor appointment with her! He was furious now. He had really hoped that he and Brooke would have made up at this point and made a real decision on the baby. But that obviously wasn't going to happen.

He wasn't sure if he still wanted Brooke to get an abortion. The adoption idea sounded like a good thought. After seeing how upset and emotional Brooke was the other day, he now just wanted what was best for her. That was what he wanted all along. But instead of sitting down and rationally talking it out, he let his mouth run. Now he had no idea if Brooke would ever take him back.

Oh, how he missed her! He had to find a way back into her heart. If there was anyone in this town that could understand where he was coming from, besides his idiotic father, it would be Lucas' mom. Karen had been pregnant at 18 and came out of it just fine. He decided he would go see her after school for advice on what to do.

* * *

After school:

Brooke was heading to the parking lot with Haley and Lucas. They decided they would drop Haley off at work, grab a quick bite to eat, and then drive over to the doctor's office. They didn't have much time though; school got out at three and her appointment was at four.

"Brooke! It's so good to see you!" Karen hollered from the counter as she walked into the café. Brooke had become like a second daughter to Karen so she had missed seeing her around the house all the time.

"Hey Karen! It's good to see you too!" Brooke cheered.

"How are you feeling?" Karen asked, glancing down at her stomach.

"Oh, so I guess you know. I'm okay. Still have morning sickness but other than that, I'm doing good!" Brooke told her.

"And Nathan? How's he doing?" Karen asked as they took a seat at the counter while Haley went to the back to get them some food.

"Nathan? I honestly don't know. He freaked out when we found out and demanded I get an abortion. I refused and we haven't really talked since then," Brooke explained sadly.

"You're kidding! That sounds so unlike Nathan! More like Dan!" Karen replied with a nervous laugh, "Don't worry, everything will work out! It did for me and it will for you!"

"Thanks. It's good to hear some encouraging words from someone that was in my position once!" Brooke said as her and Lucas began to eat. Thankfully, Brooke's morning sickness was truly only in the morning. The rest of the day, she could eat whatever she pleased.

"Hey, Brooke, it's 3:30. We better start heading over there. I'm sure you're going to have to fill out a bunch of paperwork!" Lucas told her as they finished up their food, said their goodbyes, and left. Not even a minute after they had left, Nathan walked in.

"Haley, is Karen here?" Nathan asked, seeing Haley wiping down the countertop.

"Yeah, in the back. You can go back there," she replied. He nodded his thanks and walked into the back where the office was located. Knocking on the door lightly, he saw Karen look up and smile at him. She waved him in.

"Hey Karen. I need your help," he said softly as he sat down in a chair next to hers.

"This is about Brooke and the way you reacted last weekend isn't it?" she guessed.

"How'd you know?" he asked surprised.

"Her and Lucas were just here. She told me what happened. Now, the important thing is, what are you going to do now?" she asked him, resting her elbows on her knees.

"I have no idea. That's kind of why I'm here. Dan did the same thing with you right?" he questioned, Karen silently agreeing, "Well, what if he had changed his mind? Would you have forgiven him?"

"Instantly. He was the father of my child and I loved him. But Nathan, I can tell your love for Brooke is stronger than mine was for Dan, or even Dan's love for me. And it may seem confusing, or hard to comprehend, but Brooke is hell bent on having this baby and keeping it. If she forgave you, would you be able to accept that and raise the child with her?" Karen asked him in all seriousness.

"I'd like to think so. Karen, I'm scared out of my mind. And I know I said some things I shouldn't have. But I didn't really mean them. I was just terrified! I mean, I could lose basketball. Brooke could lose her fashion line. And basketball is the only way I'm getting into college. I just didn't want to have to make a rash decision like Dan did, so I thought by getting an abortion, we could steer clear of all of that!" Nathan explained with tears in his eyes, "But the thing I'm scared of the most right now is losing Brooke. Besides basketball, she has been the one constant in my life. She's been there for me more than anyone has. I love her more than anything. So I guess, yeah, I would be willing to accept the baby and raise it with her. If it meant I get to be with her, I would do anything!"

"Nathan, I'm so glad to hear you say that. But you need to go to Brooke right now and tell her exactly what you just told me! Explain to her your fears and concerns. She'll understand, I promise!" Karen told him. He just nodded his head with a slight smile before walking back to the front of the café.

"Haley, do you know where Brooke's doctor is?" Nathan asked frantically as Haley gave him the directions.

* * *

At the Doctor:

"Brooke, good afternoon! I'm Dr. Thomas. We're going to just do a quick exam privately, and then your friend can come back in the room, okay?" the doctor asked after all introductions had been made. Lucas exited the room to give Brooke some privacy. A few minutes later, the nurse told him he could join them again. He walked into the room and took a seat next to Brooke as the doctor began asking her questions about her morning sickness. He was secretly hoping Nathan would have been here instead of him.

"So, Brooke, is this the father?" Dr. Thomas asked, glancing at Lucas. His eyes went wide as he shook his head.

"No, sorry, I'm the uncle!" he told her.

"Oh, okay! I apologize! Will the father be joining us today? We're about to see if we can hear the heartbeat, fathers always love that!" the doctor chuckled as Brooke and Lucas both started shaking their heads again.

"No, um, the father, he isn't, I mean, he's…" Brooke stammered as the door burst open. Everyone looked up to see Nathan in the doorway. Brooke gasped as he started talking.

"The father was running late. I'm sorry. Hi, I'm Nathan Scott!" he introduced himself to the doctor. Dr. Thomas smiled and shook his hand.

"Here, Nate, take my seat! Brooke, I'm just gonna go," Lucas said, smiling at Nathan before he stepped outside.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked, still in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Nathan was actually here!

"We'll talk later! Now, I think I heard something about listening for a heartbeat?" Nathan asked the doctor.

"Yes, I was telling Brooke and Lucas that we normally try to hear a heartbeat around this time. We can't always hear it, sometimes it's too early. But we can try. Brooke, if you will just lie back again, we can get started!" the doctor told them. Brooke didn't take her eyes off Nathan's as she lay back onto the table and lifted her shirt slightly. Dr. Thomas placed the heartbeat detector against her stomach, moving it around to try to find the baby.

Suddenly, they could all hear a very faint thumping sound. Brooke once again gasped at the sound.

"Is that it?" she asked, tears brimming her eyes. She still didn't take her eyes off Nathan's in fear of realizing she was hallucinating.

"That's it. That is Baby Scott!" Dr. Thomas congratulated them.

Nathan couldn't help the tears from falling from his eyes. That was his baby. His child. His flesh and blood. Right then and there, he knew his life was forever going to be different. From that moment on, it was him and Brooke together, with their child.

"Okay, I'm going to give you a few minutes alone. Stop by the front desk when you're ready to make your next appointment!" Dr. Thomas said as she left the room. Brooke sat up slowly, pulling her shirt down, eyes still locked with Nathan's.

"Nathan," Brooke started before he cut her off.

"No, Brooke, listen, I'm sorry. There is so much we need to talk about, but I want you to know how sorry I am. You were right, I'm an ass! I never should have given you an ultimatum. I never should have treated you the way I did. I stopped by the café before coming here and talked with Karen. She made me realize a lot. And after hearing the heartbeat, I realized even more. I love you so much Brooke. I can't imagine my life without you in it. So if basketball and the fashion line doesn't happen, then fine. As long as I have you and this baby with me, I don't care what I'm doing. Just please, say you'll forgive me!" Nathan said, a stray tear rolling down his cheek.

Brooke reached up and wiped the tear from his face with a grin.

"Took you long enough Scott!" she laughed through her tears. He smirked before leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. Brooke was the first to pull back from the kiss, grabbing one of his hands and pressing it to her stomach, whispering,

"Say hi to Daddy, Baby Scott!"

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**So? What'd you think? Let me know!!**


	17. 14: My favorite baby!

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took like a week or so to get an update! But I am super excited now! Thank you to everyone to read and reviewed the last chapter. And big thanks to Morgan! Once again, this chapter wouldn't have been written without her help! And I do have to let you know that this chapter is kind of short. It's more of a fluff/filler chapter to set you up for what's happening in the next chapter! Which I will probably post tomorrow b/c I'm so excited for it!**

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Friday Night:

"Brooke! Please stop whining!" Peyton shouted. They had just left the house, driving to the Scott beach house. Peyton was sure the party was already in full swing since Brooke took so long to get ready. Nathan had wanted to show up together but Brooke had insisted on following their Friday night tradition. She then spent two hours comparing and scrutinizing every outfit. She finally decided on a pair of skinny jeans, a loose black halter, and her black ballet flats, completing the look with one of Peyton's many black leather jackets.

"I'm sorry! But this I the first high school party I've ever been to where I can't drink!" Brooke pouted.

"Yeah, but look at it this way; now you can make fun of us while we get trashed!" Peyton laughed, turning onto the beach house street. She smiled as she pulled into her "reserved" parking spot, behind Nathan and Tm on the driveway.

It felt like déjà vu to Brooke and Peyton. They walked into the house and immediately saw Tim and Skills holding Nathan by the legs in a keg stand. They patiently waited for him to finish. When he was finally upright, he smiled brightly, saying,

"My two favorite girls!" before adding, "And my favorite baby!"

Brooke laughed as he leaned down and placed a kiss on her belly. Peyton accepted the drink from Tim, rolling her eyes at the happy couple. They eventually wandered off to join the party.

* * *

One Hour Later:

Brooke and Haley were currently acting as "referee" while Mouth, Tim, Skills, and Bevin battled Lucas, Theresa, Junk, and Fergie at Flippy Cup; one of many drinking games they knew. Peyton dismissed herself from the action when she noticed Nathan walking outside alone.

"Hey Natey! Enjoying the party?" she questioned, joining him on the dock further away from the house.

"Yeah! Brooke seems to be having fun so that's all that matters!" he smiled.

"You know, I'm really proud of you. You really stepped up for Brooke!" she complimented, taking a sip from her beer.

"Thanks! In the end, I just knew I needed her in my life!" he told her.

"Nate, look, I want to apologize for the way I acted," she said as Nathan cut her off.

"Peyt, don't! It's okay. I understand it all now," he replied.

"No, I don't think you do! I feel like I need to explain everyone's reactions. We didn't mean to make it seem like we were taking sides! It's just; your first reaction was just so similar to Dan. And we didn't want you to walk away from Brooke like that. And you know how protective I am of Brooke! You know I would do anything for that girl! Although, I really am sorry about slapping you!" she added with a laugh.

"Peyton, I know! I already told you I understand! Now come on, let's go kick Tim and Luke's asses at Beer Pong!" he laughed, slinging an arm around her as they walked in silence back to the house.

* * *

Four Months Later:

Brooke and Nathan currently had Peyton's house to themselves. Tim's parents had taken a weekend trip to Charlotte, taking Tim and Peyton with them. Brooke, in her second trimester at twenty-one weeks, was blissfully happy. Especially with no more morning sickness. Nathan was getting more and more frustrated with Brooke's decision to keep the baby's sex a surprise. They were, however, planning to look for an apartment right after graduation and starting to think of baby names.

They were sprawled out on Brooke's bed, both holding baby name books, browsing through their options.

"What about Eli?" Brooke suggested.

"That sounds like an old man! What about Shelby?" Nathan asked. He was surprised to find himself wanting a girl more than a boy.

"Are we having a Southern Belle?" Brooke joked, "Oh! How about this for a boy; Jackson!"

"That'd be cool! I like it! How about Molly Erin for a girl?"

"Sounds kind of Irish. Molly Erin Scott? Actually, it's cute! I love it!" Brooke gushed.

"Awesome! We have names!" Nathan cheered.

"Oh my God! Nathan feel!" Brooke shouted, placing Nathan's hands on her belly. They were both feeling the baby kick for the first time. Overcome with joy, Nathan crushed his lips against Brooke's. Ten minutes later, they found themselves caught up in the heat of the moment.

* * *

Four Weeks Later:

Brooke lie in her bed after school, her brow creased with worry. Since the night her and Nathan first felt the baby kick, it seemed like it never stopped. Brooke loved when the baby would start kicking. She would grab the hand of anyone that was close by and place it on her stomach. But last night, as she lie down and waited for sleep to come, she noticed the stillness of the baby. Normally, night time was when it was most active. She tried not to worry, blaming it on something she ate. Placing her hand on her belly, she gently pushed, trying to coax the baby into moving.

Unfortunately, nothing happened. As Brooke started to cry herself to sleep, she made a deal with herself. She would give it one more day. If they baby didn't start moving day after tomorrow, she would tell someone.


	18. 15: I can't feel it!

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A/N: I told you I would post this chapter today! I was so excited about it that I couldn't wait any longer! So here is the biggest chapter to the story so far! I hope you all like it. And I hope no one hates me for it! Thanks to Morgan for your help! Please leave a review for me. This was a very hard chapter for me to write. I literally cried while writing the final scene! Thanks!!

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Stillbirth. Umbilical cord wrapped around the fetus' neck. Induce labor and deliver the baby. Her baby. Her dead baby. That was all Brooke could comprehend as Brooke spoke.

As Brooke sat with Haley in the exam room, she still wasn't sure if this was real. They had only come in to make sure everything was okay with her baby. Ever since that first kick about ten weeks ago, the baby seemed to never stop. Yet, the last twenty-four hours, Brooke hadn't felt a thing. She didn't think anything of it at first. But Haley, being pregnant herself, could sense something was wrong.

_Everyone had just left the lunch table as the bell rang, except for Brooke. She sat at the table, eyes glossed over, one hand wrapped protectively around her belly, the other hand gently pushing, trying to feel the baby. Haley, being the slowest in the group at almost a full term pregnancy, lagged behind everyone. Glancing behind her, she noticed Brooke sitting there. She turned as quickly as she could and headed back to the table, noticing everyone else already on their way to class without a care in the world._

"_Brooke? What's wrong?" Haley worriedly asked, taking a seat next to her. Brooke slowly broke out of her trance and looked up at Haley. Haley could clearly see the worry in the brunette's eyes._

"_I can't feel it," Brooke whispered, a tear falling from her eye._

"_Can't feel what?" Haley questioned, concern stretched across her face. During the months of their pregnancies, Haley had become very close and protective of this girl._

"_The baby. Haley, I can't feel it! I've tried everything I could think of! I've tried eating spicy foods that the baby hates, I've tried eating sour foods, I've tried pushing the baby around to get it to move. Nothing works!" she cried helplessly._

"_Okay, calm down, I'm sure everything is fine. How long has it been since you felt it kick?" Haley asked, immediately going into panic mode but trying not to show it._

"_Um, I don't even know. Night before last?" Brooke mumbled, not sure how long it had been._

"_Brooke! Oh God, okay, let's go. We have to get to the doctor!" Haley told her, standing up as fast as she could and pulling Brooke in the direction of the parking lot. Thankfully, Lucas had given Haley a copy of his car key in case of an emergency._

As soon as they got to Brooke's doctor, the nurse had pushed her ahead of all the other patients they had scheduled that day. The doctor immediately rushed in with he head nurse, demanding to try to hear the heartbeat. Brooke lay on the exam table, clutching Haley's hand, hoping for the best. When they told her they couldn't find the heartbeat, the nurse tried to reassure her. But Brooke was mentally trying to prepare herself for the worst. She knew she would have to call Nathan as soon as this was over and tell him.

The doctor had then set up the ultrasound machine to try to see what was going on with the baby. Brooke would never forget that moment.

_Brooke was lying on the exam table as the nurse squeezed the cold jelly onto her stomach, preparing for the ultrasound. Haley stood by her head, holding her hand, and praying that everything would turn out okay. Brooke had never been more terrified than she was in that moment. Her future and the future of her child hung in the balance._

_The doctor began the ultrasound, searching for any sign of life from the child inside of Brooke. Brooke couldn't bring herself to look at the monitor to the right of her, instead focusing on the doctor's face. _

"_Oh God," she heard the nurse whisper over the doctor's shoulder. _

"_What? What happened? Is my baby okay?" Brooke asked frantically, shifting her gaze to the ultrasound monitor. She could easily make out the baby's shape, but still wasn't sure what was wrong._

_The doctor hesitated for a moment before turning to Brooke. _

"_I'm afraid there has been a complication, Brooke. I don't know, I, this is so hard for me to do. I'm so sorry, but the umbilical cord has been wrapped around the fetus' neck," the doctor explained, pointing out the umbilical cord._

"_What does that mean? Can you fix it?" she asked in a panic, tears already streaming down her face. Haley stood, clutching Brooke's hand for dear life, not expecting this._

"_No, I'm afraid we can't. I'm so sorry, but the baby is gone," Dr. Thomas said, feeling a few tears in her eyes as well. She had become very fond of the brunette._

Dr. Thomas had gone on to explain that the baby was now considered a stillbirth and would have to be delivered. She told Brooke that she had two options. She could either induce labor that day and deliver the baby, or wait for labor to come naturally, which normally happens a week or two after the fetus has died in the womb. They gave Brooke and Haley a moment alone. And that's where they were now.

"Brooke, say something, please," Haley said quietly, not hearing a word from the broken girl in the last fifteen minutes. She had laid on the exam table, curled into a ball, sobbing silently for the loss of her child.

"What do you want me to say?" Brooke asked through her tears.

"Anything! Have you decided what you're going to do? Should I call Nathan now?" Haley asked, hoping to get some kind of answer from her.

"No, I should be the one to tell him. He's in class right now though," Brooke said quietly, deciding to send him a text message to call her immediately. Not even two minutes had passed when her phone rang, the tune of Dierks Bentley's "Come A Little Closer," heard throughout the room. Brooke's eyes teared at again at seeing his name on the screen.

"Nate," she choked out, holding back her sobs.

Baby, where are you? Is everything okay?" he whispered into the phone. Brooke could tell that he had just snuck into the hallway to call her and was trying not to call attention to himself.

"No, everything is not okay. Nate, I'm sorry. I, um, look, the baby is, I mean, I can't, um," Brooke started before Haley took the phone from her hands.

"Nate, it's Haley. Look, I don't know how to say this, but something has happened. I need you to get Peyton, Tim, and Lucas and come to Brooke's doctor's office. We'll explain everything then. Just hurry okay?" Haley tried to explain.

"What? Haley, what's going on? Is Brooke okay? What about the baby?" Nathan's frantic voice asked.

"Nathan, I can't do this over the phone. Just get here okay?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. After she hung up, she went to explain to Dr. Thomas that the father was on the way to help Brooke with her decision.

* * *

At THHS:

Nathan hung up the phone frustrated, confused, and worried. He rushed back in the classroom, thankful it was study hall with Whitey as the "teacher." He strode to the desk to explain the situation to Whitey.

"Coach," he muttered, Whitey noticing his panicked expression.

"What's wrong Nathan?" he asked, setting down the newspaper he had been reading.

"I don't know. Brooke and Haley just called. Something's wrong. They won't tell me, but something happened. We have to leave. Now!" Nathan hurriedly explained, motioning to Lucas, Peyton, and Tim to explain the "we."

"Sure, go!" Whitey said, not even bothering to make him get an of campus emergency pass from the attendance office. He knew these kids were the only family they had and if one of them needed something, they all were there.

Nathan rushed to grab his backpack, mumbling, "Let's go. I'll explain in the car," to Peyton, Tim and Lucas.

"Nathan, what is going on?" Peyton demanded, getting into the driver's seat of her Comet and barreling out of the parking lot. Lucas and Tim, both in the backseat, impatiently waited for his response.

"I don't know!" he shouted over the wind," Haley said they would explain when we got there!"

* * *

Doctor's Office:

Brooke was still lying on the exam table, looking almost as lifeless as the child inside of her. Haley paced the floor, wondering what was taking so long when she heard Nathan's voice asking for Brooke at the front desk. Casting a quick glance at Brooke, she rushed out the door, getting the group's attention. The whole group entered the exam room against the nurse's wishes, to see Brooke more broken than they ever had. She lifted her head to see Nathan walk towards her slowly. He gently helped her sit up before cradling her in his arms as she started sobbing once again.

"Hales, what happened?" Lucas asked, wrapping her up in a hug.

"Excuse me; I'm Dr. Thomas, Brooke's doctor. Could I have a moment alone with Brooke and Nathan?" they heard as Dr. Thomas walked into the crowded room. Everyone silently agreed, stepping into the hallway.

"Miss James, perhaps you could explain the situation to your friends? You can use my office for privacy," Dr. Thomas suggested. Haley, too torn to respond, simply nodded her head, leading the group to the doctor's private office.

Haley carefully sat down on the couch in the office, Lucas sitting next to her. Peyton and Tim stood just inside the doorway, slightly afraid of the news. Haley leaned into Lucas' side, letting a few tears escape her eyes, trying to decide how to tell them. She knew how upset Peyton and Tim would be. They were supposed to be the godparents.

"Haley, please. What happened?" Peyton whispered, Tim wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Haley took a deep breath and proceeded to tell them the truth. As soon as they realized what Haley was saying, Tim was wrapping Peyton up in his arms to comfort her. Peyton buried her head in his chest, weeping for the child Brooke and Nathan lost.

* * *

In the exam room:

After Dr. Thomas explained to Nathan what had happened, tears immediately burst from his eyes. He wrapped himself around Brooke, both sobbing over their lost child, as Dr. Thomas explained their options again.

Brooke abruptly pulled away from Nathan, looking at Dr. Thomas, responding, "Today. I'll deliver it. But I want it done today!"

"Are you sure? Baby, we can wait for it to come naturally," Nathan suggested, trying to calm himself.

"No. I can't do that. I can't carry this baby any longer!" Brooke cried. Dr. Thomas excused herself to set up the induction and delivery with the hospital. She set it up to have an ambulance pick Brooke and Nathan up and transport them to the hospital. Lucas, Haley, Tim, and Peyton followed in Peyton's car, agreeing to pick up Lucas' car later. On the way to the hospital, Lucas called his mother to explain what happened. Tim also decided to call Dan, Surprised when Dan actually sounded concerned for his son and Brooke, promising to meet them there.

When they pulled up to the hospital, Brooke was already being taken into the Labor and Delivery ward. The group met Karen and Dan in the waiting room, shocked at noticing dried tears on Dan's face. Haley tried to explain to the nurses that they were the only family Brooke and Nathan had and should be with them. But the nurse refused to let them into the room while the doctor was administering the Pitocin, the medicine that would start the induction.

They all sat there for three hours, waiting for any news, when a nurse appeared.

"Miss Davis is asking for a Haley and a Karen to come in," she said as the two women followed. Peyton wasn't upset at all by this. She knew Brooke and knew Brooke wouldn't want her closest friend to share this pain with her. She stayed where she was, curled into Tim on the small couch of the waiting room.

When Haley and Karen entered the delivery room, they noticed Brooke curled on her right side, obviously in the middle of a contraction. Nathan was by her side, holding her hand, feeling every pain Brooke felt.

"Oh Brooke!" Karen cried, rushing to her side, wiping the hair out of her eyes.

"Karen, I can't do this!" Brooke wept helplessly. Haley gently pulled Nathan away for a moment as Brooke and Karen talked.

"How far is she dilated?" Haley asked, not bothering to ask how he was. She could see how broken he was.

"Five centimeters. The nurse said the Pitocin is working fast. They said she'll probably be ready to deliver in an hour or two," he explained, trying his hardest to not cry again.

"Have they given her an epidural for the pain?"

"They offered but Brooke refused, "Nathan said quietly, looking at Haley in tears, "She says it's her fault the baby died! She said she deserves to feel this pain!"

Haley had almost broken down at that, but had to stay strong for Brooke. They agreed that she and Karen would stay with Brooke so Nathan could take a break for a little while. The two women held Brooke's hands during her contractions for the next hour as Nathan ventured to the waiting room. He saw Tim and Peyton curled up together, both snoozing. Lucas was sprawled out on the floor, his attention on the news playing on the TV.

"Nathan!" he heard, shocked as he turned to see his father walk towards him from the nurses' station, "Son, I'm so sorry!"

Nathan didn't even have a chance to respond as Dan engulfed him in a hug. Nathan, too overcome with sadness, didn't resist. Instead, he clung to his father and sobbed into his shoulder. His sobs caught the attention of everyone else, waking Tim and Peyton from their slumber. They all stood, taking turns trying to comfort Nathan. Suddenly, they were interrupted by Haley and Karen.

"She's fully dilated. They're getting ready to deliver. She's asking for you Nate," Karen said quietly. Nathan had nothing to say as he turned and ran for Brooke's room.

* * *

One Hour Later:

"Brooke, you're doing great Hun! The head is out. I need another big push on your next contraction okay?" Dr. Thomas said, trying to control her obvious sympathy for the couple.

"I can't do it," Brooke choked out, too exhausted to keep going. She leaned her head back onto the hospital bed, looking at Nathan. He looked at her with tears running down his face.

"You can do this baby. I know you can. You just have to be strong!" he told her, wiping her forehead with a towel. She could feel a contraction coming. Brooke leaned forward, her hands underneath her knees, nodding her head and pushing through her tears.

"Okay, Brooke, that was great! The shoulders are almost out! I just need one last push out of you and it's over!" Dr. Thomas said quietly. Brooke braced herself against the pain, pushing with all the strength she had left.

"It's a girl," Dr. Thomas whispered as the baby came out. Nathan, against his better judgment, glanced down at the baby. Shock covered his face as he saw the lifeless newborn.

Normally, this would be a joyous occasion. The mother would finish pushing the baby out with tears of happiness as the baby was placed on her stomach. The father would then be more than happy to cut the umbilical cord as they listened to their child's first cries.

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence of the room. Nathan stayed by Brooke's head, holding her hand as the doctor cut the umbilical cord from around the newborn's neck. The nurse then carried the baby away for a moment.

"Where are you going? Don't I get to see her first?" Brooke sobbed.

"Gina is just going to clean her off first. After she's done, we're going to let you two have a few minutes alone with your daughter before we take her away. The medical examiner's office will most likely be ready to release the body in three to four days. It's up to you what happens from there. You can choose whether or not to have a funeral or a memorial service," Dr. Thomas said, trying to explain the process, "Brooke, Nathan, I really am so sorry. You didn't deserve this. That baby deserved a life with you. Please, if you have a funeral, let me know when. I would like to be there."

"Of course Dr. Thomas," Nathan mumbled, trying to hold himself together for Brooke. The doctor then left the room. The only other person in the room with them was the nurse, Gina, who was carrying the baby to her parents.

"Here you go sweetie," Gina whispered, handing the newborn over to Brooke, "We'll be back in about thirty minutes. Normally, we take them after ten minutes. But I'm going to act like I can't tell time. I'm so sorry."

"Gina!" Brooke called before she was out the door, "Can our friends come in too?"

"No, I'm afraid not. We don't let anyone but the parents be with the baby," she explained with a sad smile. Brooke nodded her head before finally looking at her child for the first time. The baby's eyes were closed and she was wrapped in a soft, pink blanket. They didn't put a hat on her head like normal, and Brooke could see a head full of dark brown hair, just like Nathan's.

"She's gorgeous," Nathan murmured, sliding a finger down her small cheek.

"She really is. She looks like you!" Brooke sadly smiled, a new batch of tears running down her cheeks.

"Molly Erin Scott, I love you!" Nathan said quietly, not bothering to hold his tears.

"Yes, we love you baby. I wish you were really here with us. We would have been the best parents ever. Please know we will always love you," Brooke spoke so quietly that Nathan hardly heard her words.

The two broken parents spent the next twenty minutes in silence with their lost child. Eventually, Gina came back in to take the baby away.

"I love you Molly Erin," Brooke cried, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Nathan copied her actions before handing the baby over to Gina.

As Gina left the room with a blanket covering Molly Erin's face, Brooke collapsed into Nathan's arms, not knowing what to do with herself.

"Shh, it's okay baby. It's going to be okay," Nathan whispered softly into her ear. His tears were now mixing in with hers as they started the grieving process.


	19. 16: What do we do now?

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's taken so long. But school has been kicking my butt! Plus, my daughter, who is 1 ½, is already getting into those terrible twos! So it's been stressful at my house! Anyways, here's a short chapter for yall. I planned on making it longer and adding Molly Erin's funeral in here but decided to split it up. So next chapter will be the funeral! Oh and big news!!!! I've planned out and have begun the research for my first novel! It's just in the planning stages right now. But if any of you are interested in what it's about, just ask in a PM or in your review! Also, thanks to Morgan, as always, for helping me through these chapters! Love ya girly!**

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Brooke lay in Nathan's arms, sobbing as Gina took Molly Erin away. She didn't realize there really was a pain like this. No one, not even Nathan, could understand the sorrow and guilt she felt. If only she had told someone when she first realized Molly Erin wasn't kicking. Maybe they could have saved her. After almost an hour of feeling the guilt over her daughter's death, pure exhaustion took over.

Nathan looked down to see Brooke asleep against his chest. Slowly and carefully, he laid her head on the pillow of the hospital bed, understanding she needed the rest. As quietly as he could, he slipped out of the room and down the hall to the full waiting room.

Walking up, he saw Dan, Karen, Lucas, and Haley in conversation. It was very odd and shocking to see his father acting the way he was. Before his thoughts could go any further, he was attacked by Peyton. She ran up and threw her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly.

"Peyt, can't breathe!" he gasped. Peyton blushed, releasing her hold on him. Tim chuckled at his girlfriend from behind her, catching everyone else's attention. Karen and Dan immediately stood and walked towards them as Lucas helped Haley up before joining.

"Are you okay? How's Brooke? Does she want to see me?" Peyton asked quickly.

"No, terrible, and probably not since she just fell asleep," Nathan answered all on one breath. Tim squeezed his shoulder in comfort.

"We're here if yall need anything Nate," Molly Erin's would-be godfather said.

"I know Tim. Thanks. Look, the hospital is keeping her overnight and I'm going to stay with her. She should be released by the time school is out. Can you pick us up then Peyt?" he explained, looking to Peyton for an answer.

"Actually, son, can we talk privately for a minute?" Dan asked before Peyton could answer.

"Sure," Nathan mumbled, following his father down the hall, away from the group.

"Nathan, I've been doing some thinking. Maybe you and Brooke should stay with me for a while. You both are going to need some time to grieve and you'll want some privacy for that. And you won't get that at Peyton's house," he suggested.

"I don't know Dad. It's not like we have the best relationship. And I'm not sure if Brooke would want to."

"Nathan, I understand. But I want you to know that I'm trying here. I want to be the father you need but I need you to let me do that. Besides, with your mom going back to work out of town, and then the divorce, I'm all alone in that big house. And I've been working crazy hours, so it will be just you and Brooke a lot of the time. You can have the privacy you need to start the grieving process," Dan explained. Nathan took a moment to think this idea over. He wasn't sure if his father's intentions were true, but he desperately wanted to believe they were. But regardless of whether Dan's intentions were honest or not, he agreed that they did need the privacy they wouldn't get at Peyton's. Sure, they could always go stay at his apartment. But he knew it would only bring Brooke bad memories of the nights they lie alone in bed wondering what Molly Erin would look like.

"I'll talk to Brooke about it and let you know. It depends on what she is more comfortable with. That's the most important part. And can you do me a favor? Brooke and I want to have a funeral for Molly Erin and," Nathan said before Dan cut him off.

"Molly Erin? It was a girl?" Dan asked as Nathan nodded his head. Nathan saw the tears well up in Dan's eyes before a few ran down his cheeks.

"That's a gorgeous name son. Now, what about the funeral? Do you need any help?" Dan asked.

"Yeah. The medical examiner is going to release the body in a few days. I was thinking the funeral could be Saturday. Can you and Karen try to get everything together for the most part? I don't want Brooke to have to worry about it. If you need anything from us, just call me and I will take care of it," Nathan said, hoping his father would agree.

"Nathan, I don't know. Are you sure you want Karen and I to do this?" he asked, skeptical about planning his granddaughter's funeral.

"Please Dad. Like I said, I don't want Brooke to worry about it. And I'm not sure if either one of us is strong enough to handle it. You said you wanted to be the father I needed. Well, here's your chance," he said, turning to head back towards Brooke's room, "Oh, and can you tell everyone else to just go home? Brooke doesn't want to see anyone right now."

* * *

As Nathan entered Brooke's hospital room, he saw her starting to wake up. He took a seat in the chair next to her bed and grabbed her hand, kissing her palm as she sat up.

"Nate? Where'd you go?" Brooke asked sleepily.

"I just went to talk to everyone for a minute. I'm sorry I left," he answered quietly. As much as this was hurting him, and it was, his main priority right now was Brooke. He could tell how much she blamed herself without her even telling him.

"Are they all here?" she asked with wide eyes, looking almost frightened at the idea of seeing their friends.

"Not anymore. I told them all to go home. I figured you wouldn't be up to visitors," he told her. Brooke sighed in relief.

"She's really gone isn't she?" she asked in a whisper, Nathan just nodding his head, "What do we do now?"

"Karen and my dad are going to take care of the funeral arrangements," he said, deciding to take her question literally, "And my dad thought maybe we would want to stay with him for a while. He said we could have the privacy there that we couldn't get at Peyton's house. What do you think?"

"Stay with your dad? I guess. All I know is I don't want to see anyone right now. Can you get my stuff from Peyton's?" Brooke questioned. Nathan nodded, understanding that she just needed some time alone.

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you. My dad is going to talk to Principal Turner about school. He'll probably get it to where we can take this week off and our absences won't matter. But we'll probably have to go back next week," Nathan explained, hoping his father could be persuasive enough to get the deal made.

* * *

The Next Day:

Dan had picked Nathan and Brooke up from the hospital when Brooke was released and took them back to his house. While Brooke went upstairs to take a shower and a nap, Nathan drove over to the apartment to get himself some clothes before going to Peyton's to get some things for Brooke. When he walked in the front door, he heard Peyton's music blaring from her room. Deciding to try to get this over with quickly, he ascended the stairs and headed for Brooke's room as quiet as he could. When he reached Brooke's room, he grabbed her cheerleading bag and a suitcase from her closet.

One good thing about dating your best friend is you know what they would want. He quickly found her three favorite pair of jeans. One she called her 'lazy jeans'; the type she wore around the house. The second pair she called her 'I'm too tired to dress up jeans'; the pair she wore to school when she woke up too late to get all dolled up. And the third pair she called her 'fancy jeans'; the jeans she wore when she did have the time to get dolled up. He then went into the closet to find tops for her. He grabbed a few tank tops and t-shirts before trying to decide what nicer tops she would want.

"What are you doing?" he heard Peyton ask from behind him. He quickly turned around, flinging the tank tops and t-shirts on the bed as he turned.

"Hey Peyt. Just trying to find some things for Brooke. We're going to be staying with my dad for a while," he said, grabbing a black halter top that he knew she loved, adding it to the pile on the bed.

"Why? Why can't she stay here like she has been?" Peyton asked, sounding almost offended.

"Look, it's nothing personal. We just need some privacy and alone time. It's just for a little while," he told her, grabbing the last of the shirts he thought she would want. He then looked to the floor of the closet, trying to figure out what shoes she would want.

"Fine. You want some help? I know you have no clue about shoes when it comes to Brooke!" Peyton joked, joining him at the closet. She helped him pick out some comfortable flats, tennis shoes, and heels before grabbing a few of Brooke's favorite pajamas out of the dresser. They stood at the bed, folding clothes, when Peyton broke the silence.

"Dan told us you were having a funeral," she said quietly, not wanting to upset Nathan any more than he already was.

"Yeah, it's probably going to be on Saturday. Karen and my dad are going to arrange it for us."

"That's what he said. In that case, she's going to need a dress!" she replied, walking back to the closet, "Here, this will work. She's always liked this dress."

Nathan turned around to see Peyton holding up a black dress with a tasteful ivory belt around the middle. She then leaned down and grabbed Brooke's favorite pair of black Manola heels to go with the dress.

"Thanks Peyt. I better get back. Brooke's probably waking from her nap about now. I'll see you later!" he said, quickly adding Brooke's makeup and flat-iron to the suitcase. He then hoisted the cheerleading bag onto his shoulder, along with her schoolbag and purse, grabbed the suitcase by the handle, and left before Peyton could say anything else.

* * *

Two Days Later:

Wednesday. May 21st. Two days since Molly Erin was born.

Nathan took a seat on the living room couch and sighed, realizing how slow the time was passing. The TV was tuned to a basketball game that Nathan, for once in his life, wasn't interested in. Dan walked into the room and noticed the sour look on his son's face.

"Nate you okay?" he asked cautiously, taking a seat in the recliner.

"Not really, "Nathan mumbled.

"Anything I can help with?" his father questioned.

"It's Brooke. She hardly eats, she won't talk to me. She can barely look at me. And God forbid if I try to touch her!" Nathan said, deciding to let his frustrations out.

"Nathan, I know this is hard for you. But you need to realize what this is doing to Brooke. She lost her baby; the child she carried inside her for months," Dan tried to explain. He was really trying to change his ways and be there for Nathan and Brooke in their time of need. God knows Deb cared more for her job then her son. And there's no telling where Brooke's parents even were at the moment. He knew they had their friends. But they really just needed the support of each other and family.

"I know she's hurting. And I know she feels guilty about Molly's death. I just wish she would let me in. I wasn't to help her through this and she won't let me. It's like she _wants_ to suffer!" Nathan told Dan right before the doorbell rang.

"Hang on a minute, let me get that," Dan said, walking to the door. Opening the door, he saw Peyton standing there with red swollen eyes.

"I want to see Brooke," she whispered.

"Peyton, I'm not sure if that's a good idea right now. You can see her at the funeral on Saturday," Dan replied.

"No. I won't wail until Saturday Dan. I want to see her now," Peyton said, her voice rising with every word, catching Nathan's attention. He walked up to the door to hear his father say,

"Ms. Sawyer, it's not a good time. You can see her on Saturday!"

"What's going on?" Nathan asked, seeing an angry, crying Peyton glaring at his father.

"I want to see her Nathan," Peyton's voice trembled.

"Peyt," he sighed, "I don't think she's up for visitors right now."

"Nathan, please don't tell me no. She's my _best friend_ Nate. She won't answer any of my calls or call or text me back. I need to be there for her. Please," Peyton begged, wiping at her tears.

"Peyton, look, you're one of my best friends. And I know you're Brooke's best friend. But we just went through the worst kind of tragedy and need some time to ourselves. You can see her on Saturday. I'm sorry," Nathan explained, closing the door on Peyton. He hated being rude but sometimes she just didn't get it.

"I'm gonna go check on Brooke," Nathan muttered, turning for the stairs.

* * *

"B? You awake?" he whispered, walking into his dark bedroom.

"Unfortunately. What time is it?" Brooke asked with absolutely no emotion in her voice.

"Almost five. Dad was going to grill some steaks for dinner. You hungry?"

"No," she answered automatically, curling onto her right side, her back turned to Nathan.

"Brooke, you need to eat! You're going to make yourself sick!" he exclaimed, going around the bed to sit in front of her.

"I'm not hungry. Just go away please," Brooke whispered, choking back a sob.

"Brooke, please stop shutting me out. I'm hurting just as much as you. I need you right now," Nathan cried, reaching for her hand.

Brooke sat up and leaned towards him so quickly it almost made him jump back. But he held his ground, bracing himself for what was coming next.

"You don't need me. And I don't want you to. My daughter is dead and it's all my fault. So excuse me if I want to be alone. Get out," Brooke growled, making Nathan's eyes go wide. Before he could reply, she lay back down and closed her eyes. Sighing in defeat, Nathan stood up and walked out of the room.

* * *

**So? Like it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	20. 17: Tim, why are you here?

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A/N: Hey there guys! So first of all, thank you for the amazing reviews I've gotten! Yall have no idea how much they mean to me! I'm so glad people actually like this story. Second, thank you Morgan for all your help! This story seriously would not exist anymore if it wasn't for you! And third, here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

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Saturday, May 24th, 2008

Peyton stood in her bathroom, fixing her makeup and mentally preparing herself for today.

"Peyt, you in there?" she heard Tim ask as he walked into her bedroom.

"In here babe!" she shouted back.

"Hey baby," he whispered, kissing her neck gently. She leaned back into him for a moment as her cell phone began to ring.

"It's Nate," Peyton mumbled before answering, "Hey Nate."

"Peyton, I need your help!" he said quietly.

"Sure, what is it?"

"It's Brooke. She won't get out of bed and we have to leave in an hour to get to the church," he replied.

"Okay, Tim and I are on our way. Give me ten minutes!" Peyton told him. She hung up the phone, quickly finished her makeup, and was out the door with Tim behind her.

* * *

At Nathan's:

"Thanks for coming guys!" Nathan said as Tim and Peyton walked in the house.

"Not a problem! Is she upstairs?" Peyton asked, giving Nathan a quick hug.

"Yeah, in my room. Go on up," he answered, following Tim into the kitchen where Dan was. Peyton rushed up the stairs and down the hall to Nathan's room. Opening the door, she saw Brooke sprawled face down under the covers. Her eyes were closed but Peyton could tell she was awake.

"B. Davis?" she whispered, lying down next to her.

"Go away," Brooke muttered, trying to roll away from Peyton. Peyton wrapped her arms around Brooke, holding her tight against her chest.

"I'm not going anywhere Brooke! You can kick and scream all you want. But you will get up, take a shower, and get dressed whether I have to force you or not!" Peyton said sternly.

"What's the point? She's dead. Why do I have to go to the funeral? It won't bring her back," Brooke said, crying on Peyton's shoulder. Peyton decided a little tough love was what Brooke needed in order to get her through this moment.

"That's right Brooke, Molly Erin is gone. And I'm sorry for that. But lying in bed wasting away isn't going to bring her back either. So get up and get ready for the funeral. Nathan needs you. And I'm pretty sure you need him too even though you won't admit it!" Peyton told her, grabbing Brooke's hands and dragging her off the bed and towards the shower.

* * *

45 Minutes Later:

Nathan left the kitchen to go check on Brooke but was stopped by Peyton standing in the hallway; her head leaned back against the wall outside of Nathan's room.

"Everything okay Peyt?" he asked.

"Yeah!" she smiled, "Brooke's just getting dressed. She'll be ready to go in just a minute."

"Thank you so much Peyton!" he said with the first genuine smile all week, "I'm gonna go check on her. Go on downstairs. We'll meet you there."

Peyton gave him a forced smile as he walked into his bedroom. Brooke was sitting on the edge of the bed, shoes on and her dress unzipped, holding back her tears.

"Brooke?" he whispered. At the sound of his voice, she stood from the bed to face him.

"You ready to go?" he asked, walking towards her.

"Yeah, um, can you zip me up?" she asked quietly, a shy smile forming on her lips. He walked behind her, his fingers grazing her back as he slid the zipper up. Once the dress was zipped, he pulled his fingers through her hair, letting it cascade down her back.

Brooke sighed and leaned her head back onto his shoulder, forgetting her pain for a moment. Nathan gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. When she looked up into his eyes, she recognized the man she fell in love with. Her Nathan.

Seeing the sad, lost look on Brooke's face, he just wanted to ease her pain. Leaning down quickly, he brought his lips to meet hers with a passion he had never experienced before. As the kiss deepened, Brooke tangled her hands in his hair, pulling him closer. As she slid her tongue across his bottom lip, Nathan thought he was going to lose it. He could feel his excitement growing. And so could Brooke. She pushed her hips forward, feeling him against her lower stomach. At first she thought that was what she wanted. But feeling him against her, she realized what she was doing.

As quickly as it had started, it was over. Brooke braced her hands against his chest and pushed him away with all of her strength, gasping for air. Nathan's eyes stayed closed for half a second until he realized what happened. Opening his eyes, he saw Brooke standing about a foot away from him with a look of pure hatred.

"Brooke," he started before a slap cut him off. He brought his hand up to his stinging cheek, barely registering the fact that Brooke had actually just slapped him.

"How dare you! Molly Erin is dead! We have to go to her funeral! And here you are trying to seduce me or whatever the hell you're trying to do?" Brooke spat viciously.

"No, Brooke, I wasn't trying to. I just miss you. I know Molly is gone. And it hurts Brooke. I'm hurting just as much as you are. And I know you blame yourself, but you shouldn't! I should have realized something was wrong. I know you well enough to know when something is wrong and I should have known! So I'm sorry. But you can't keep pushing me away! You need me, I know you do. And I need you too!" Nathan explained, reaching out for her.

"Don't fucking touch me!" she whispered harshly, walking away from him. Nathan's voice stopped her right before she left the room.

"Brooke, don't do this," he said, his voice breaking.

"I haven't done anything Nathan. You're the one that thought you could make it better with sex. So don't touch me. Don't talk to me! I don't want to hear your voice. In fact, don't even look at me!" she yelled, turning and running down the stairs.

By the time Nathan recovered from her words and got downstairs, Dan and Tim were the only ones left.

"She went to the church with Peyton," Dan said, answering his son's unspoken question.

"Did yall hear all of that?" Nathan asked, eyes on the floor, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer.

"It doesn't matter Nathan. Let's go," Dan replied, leading his son to the garage.

* * *

After The Funeral:

Brooke sat in the chair in front of her daughter's casket. They were getting ready to lower it into the ground. She couldn't believe how small it was.

During the actual funeral, she sat in the first row, Dan in-between her and Nathan. She just sat there staring at the cross on the wall behind Molly Erin's casket. The words spoken were barely heard to her. She just sat, still as a stone, with no tears falling from her eyes while everyone around her cried like babies. Even Lucas and Dan. Apparently, Molly's death affected more than just her. But she didn't care.

And now, before they lowered Molly into the ground, everyone she knew walked by her, giving their condolences. Brooke didn't even bother trying to hug the people back. She sat and let them hug her and cry to her.

"Brooke, it's time to go," she heard someone whisper from behind her. Turning around, she saw Haley and Lucas standing there with Peyton. Peyton's hand was on her shoulder while Lucas had one arm around Haley's waist. Haley stood there with her hand on her belly. Seeing Haley's pregnant body suddenly made her so angry. Before she could say or do anything, Peyton turned to tell them to leave, seeing the look in Brooke's eyes.

"We'll see you there," Lucas whispered, turning to leave. They were headed to Nathan's house for the wake/luncheon they were having.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Brooke broke down in tears.

"It's not fair! Why did Molly have to die? I didn't do anything wrong! But Haley, on the other hand, and Lucas, both cheated on me and Nathan. Yet they get to keep their baby? It's not fair!" Brooke screamed. Peyton ran around the chairs to kneel in front of Brooke. She wrapped her arms around the brunette, feeling Brooke cling onto her for dear life. After another moment or two, Brooke's sobs stopped.

"Brooke, it's okay to be upset," Peyton said. Leaning back from Brooke a little. Brooke then stood quickly, almost knocking Peyton down in the process.

"I'm not upset! I'm mad!" Brooke told her, starting to pace in front of the large hole in the ground.

"I'm mad Peyton. I'm so angry! Why did it have to happen to her? Do you realize that I don't even know what color eyes she had? Her eyes were never opened! And I'll never get to see her crawl, or take her first steps, or say her first word! And I'll never get to have bath time with her. Or get annoyed when I step on one of her many toys! And I'll never be able to laugh when Nathan slips up and cusses in front of her, causing her to say the same word over and over like babies do. I'll never get to cry on her first day of school when I drop her off. Or be so insanely happy to see her at the end of that first day! I don't get any of that now! All because I couldn't speak up and tell someone that she quit kicking! It's all my fault Peyton and that makes me so mad," Brooke ranted, tears running down her cheeks as she spoke. Peyton had stayed kneeled to the ground, taking in every word.

"Brooke," Peyton said, standing up to face her.

"No, I don't want your pity. Or sympathy or whatever. Let's just go and get this over with so I can go back to bed," Brooke mumbled, walking to the car, leaving the blonde staring at the hole in the ground, tears matching the brunette's.

* * *

Back at Nathan's:

Brooke entered through the back door, hoping to slip in unnoticed and go straight to bed. She wasn't that lucky.

"Brooke, I'm so sorry," Karen said, giving her a tight hug. She was then surrounded by all of their friends, everyone wanting to say so much but really saying nothing.

"Thank you for coming," Brooke whispered to everyone, walking through the crowd gathered in the kitchen. As she passed Haley and Lucas, she heard a gasp from Haley. Before she could do anything, Brooke was slipping through some kind of liquid that was pooling on the kitchen floor. Nathan, standing at the edge of the crowd, rushed forward and caught her before she fell.

"I thought I told you not to touch me," Brooke said, trying to right herself. She untangled herself from Nathan's arms and turned around, seeing a pained look on Haley's face. She then looked down and saw the clear liquid on the floor.

"What the hell is that?" she demanded, confused looks on everyone's faces.

"My water broke," Haley whispered just loud enough for Brooke, Lucas, and Nathan to hear.

"What? Oh God, Haley," Lucas muttered, fear present in his eyes. At this point, the rest of their friends in the room realized what was going on. Karen rushed to her side.

"We need to get to the hospital," Karen said, immediately going into 'mom mode.'

"Oh this is just great!" they heard Brooke mumble in disgust. They all stopped walking and turned to look at her.

"What are you talking about Brooke?" Haley asked, a look of worry on her face.

"You! Of course, you would go into labor at my dead daughter's funeral!" Brooke shouted at her.

"Brooke!" Peyton shouted, rushing to her side in case she had to hold her back.

"No, I'm serious! The one day you knew would be the hardest and you go into labor!"

"It's not like I planned it Brooke! I'm not even due for at least another week!" Haley cried, trying to defend herself.

"Whatever. Just get out," Brooke murmured, hands on her hips.

"Let's just go Hales," Lucas said, guiding her to the door. Nathan stared at Brooke for a second before following Lucas and Haley, shaking his head at her.

"Luke! Wait up!" Nathan yelled, running to catch them at the car.

"Haley, Lucas, I'm sorry about that," he said as they helped Haley get into Lucas' car. Skills and Bevin, parked behind Lucas, were giving Karen a ride to the hospital.

"Nate, it's okay. I know she didn't mean it. She's just broken right now," Haley told him, trying to smile through her own pain.

"Listen, I'm going to make everyone leave. I'll meet you guys at the hospital okay?" Nathan asked. Lucas creased his brow in concern.

"Shouldn't you stay here with Brooke?" he questioned, concerned about the brunette after that outburst.

"She's probably just going to bed. She'll be okay for a while. My dad is here if he needs anything. Besides, I have to be there to meet my niece or nephew!" Nathan said, trying to smile. He was still feeling the pain of losing Molly. And he knew seeing Luke and Haley's baby would only make it worse. But he was trying not to show it. He wanted to be there for his brother and Haley. He was trying to stay strong for everyone and not break down.

"Don't you mean godson or daughter?" Haley asked with a laugh. Nathan's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Really?" he asked with shock evident in his voice. Lucas and Haley nodded their heads with smiles on their faces.

"We want Brooke to be the godmother too. But I don't know how she would feel about it," Lucas told him, going around the car and getting into the driver's seat. Nathan wasn't sure what to say to that. He just shrugged his shoulders before returning to the house.

When Nathan walked back into his house, he noticed most of the guests all heading towards the front door, ready to leave. He figured his dad had probably asked everyone to leave, giving the family time to be alone. Not seeing Brooke anywhere in his sight, he looked to Peyton and Tim huddled at the kitchen table.

"She went upstairs," Tim said quietly.

"What, can you people read minds or something?" Nathan laughed, heading towards the stairs. Tim jogged over to him and put his hand on Nathan's shoulder to stop him.

"You mind if I try to talk to her?" Tim asked. Nathan just nodded his head and went to sit at the table with Peyton.

"So, I don't really know what to say to you right now. But what I do know is that there are a bunch of left over finger foods from earlier! You hungry?" Peyton asked him, eyeing all the food still out on the kitchen counters.

"Yeah let's eat!" he said as he went to grab all the trays and bring them to the table. He set them down before grabbing a few sodas out of the fridge for the two of them.

* * *

Upstairs:

"Brooke you in here?" Tim asked quietly, peeking in Nathan's room. He didn't see her on the bed so he walked further into the room. Brooke was sitting on the floor at the end of the bed clutching something in her hands.

"B?" Tim said, kneeling down next to her. She didn't look up at him. She just kept staring at the object in her hands, which looked like a picture frame from Tim's view. He gently eased the item out of her grasp, realizing that it was her first ultrasound picture.

"She was alive then," Brooke cried, finally looking up at him. Tim didn't say a word, just set the frame down and gathered his friend in his arms. He rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down. They stayed like that for about twenty minutes; Tim rocking and Brooke crying. When she lifted her head from his shoulder, he saw no more tears.

"Tim, why are you here?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" he asked back, confusion clear on his face.

"You can go Timmy. I don't need a babysitter. I'm not going to do anything stupid," she told him, sitting straight with her back against the bed.

"Well that's good because I didn't think you would anyways. And I'm not babysitting you either. You're my friend B. That's why I'm here. Your pain is my pain. And we don't have to do anything, we don't have to even talk if you don't want to. We can just sit here and stare at the wall together. I'm here though Brooke and I'm not going to leave you. Whatever it is you need, I'll do it. You can kick and scream, cuss me out, punch holes in the wall, punch me if you really want to! But I'm not leaving because you're my friend and I love you," Tim explained. Brooke just laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.

For the next two hours they sat this way. The only time Tim moved was to text Peyton to let her know what was going on, that she should go on home if she wanted, and that he would meet her there later.

"B?" Tim asked in a whisper, not sure if she was still awake. She hadn't made a sound in about forty minutes.

"Yeah?"

"Can we change positions? My ass just went numb," he whispered back, not joking. Brooke couldn't even answer him because she erupted into a fit of giggles. Tim stared at her in bewilderment for a moment, not sure why that was so funny, before he started laughing along with her.

"Timmy, oh God," Brooke said, unable to form a sentence through her laughter. She lay on her side, clutching her stomach while she laughed.

Finally, when the giggles had almost completely subsided, Brooke sat up, trying to stop hiccupping.

"Thank you," she said honestly, glancing over at Tim.

"For what?"

"For just being here. For not pressuring me to talk about it. Everyone tries to get me to talk about it, like somehow that's going to make it all better. When really it makes it worse. It makes it more real. But you," she said with a smile, "you just sat here in silence with me. You stared at the wall with me. You let me handle it in my own way. So thank you."

"You're welcome. I told you B, you're my friend. So I'm here as long as you need me to be," he said as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw he had a text message from Peyton. It said "Hey babe, at the hospital w/H & L. IT'S A BOY!"

Brooke leaned over and read the message. She inhaled sharply before releasing the breath.

"Go on Timmy," she told him, nodding her head towards the door.

"You don't want to come?" he asked, standing off the ground. He shook his butt around for a second to get the numbness to go away. Brooke laughed at him before getting serious again.

"No, I don't want to go," she simply said.

"Alright, well Dan is downstairs if you need anything," he told her as he turned for the door.

"Dan? Where's Nathan?" she asked him, anger setting in on her face.

"He went to the hospital earlier. I thought you knew he was going," Tim replied.

"No, I didn't know. What an ass!" she said under her breath, "Just go Tim. I'll see you later."

* * *

At The Hospital:

Tim rushed into the waiting room to see Peyton, Karen, Skills, Bevin, Mouth, Junk, Fergie, and Haley's parents standing around with smiles on their faces. Up seeing Tim, Peyton ran up to him and jumped into his arms. She looked into his eyes and before she could ask her question, he answered her.

"She's gonna be okay Peyt. It's going to take a while but she'll get through it in her own way," he told her, "Where's Nate?"

"In the room with Haley and Lucas. They made him the godfather!" Peyton answered, "The room is down the hall, third door on the right. Go see them!"

Tim walked down the hall and knocked quietly on the door to Haley's room. Lucas opened the door with a huge smile and ushered Tim into the room.

"Tim, meet Mason Keith Scott!" Lucas cheered, pointing to the baby cuddled in Nathan's arms in the rocking chair. Nathan looked up at that moment and everyone could see how much this was hurting him.

"Nate," Haley whispered, tears of her own forming in her eyes.

"No, I'm okay, really. It's just hard," he said, standing to hand Mason over to Tim. He then rushed out of the room, running past the waiting room and down the stairs in a desperate attempt to get away from everyone. When he finally made it to the bottom floor, he just sat down on the last step and cried.

"Nathan," he heard from behind him, instantly recognizing the voice. It was Haley's dad. Nathan turned to his right to see Jimmy sit down next to him.

"Did Haley ever tell you about our first child?" Jimmy asked.

"Her brother?"

"No, the one before him. The one we lost," Jimmy said. Nathan shook his head. They lost a child?

"Haley's mother and I were pregnant not too long after we met. We were teenagers, kids really, and insanely overcome with our love for each other. So, we went a little too far one night before we were really ready to. And five weeks later we found out she was pregnant. I'm sure you can understand the terror I felt. Hales told me what happened when you found out Brooke was pregnant. That's close to the way I felt. Of course, I only left her for a few hours, not a week!" Jimmy said with a slight laugh.

"What happened?" Nathan asked him, curious now.

"We got used to the idea. Our parents were furious but they accepted it after a while. We got married at the court house when she was about four months pregnant. And a few weeks after that, she started bleeding really bad. It was the middle of the night and she woke up in pain. When I turned on the light, our bed was drenched in blood. I started freaking out but Lydia, she stayed calm. She insisted that I calm down and take her to the hospital. Of course, I put trash bags down in my car before she got in it!

"When we got there, the doctors and nurses took her into a room and started shouting things at each other. I hardly heard any of it. They were tossing words around like placental abruption and stillborn. I was young, just eighteen. I had no idea what they were saying. Then they all left the room. Apparently they had gotten the bleeding to stop, but it was too late. The baby was gone and there was nothing else they could do except deliver it. I don't think Lydia's ever cried so much in her life. I don't think I had either," Jimmy explained to the younger boy.

"How did you get over it? I mean, you're both so happy now. Will Brooke and I ever be that way?"

"Eventually, yes. It's not gonna happen right away Nate. I can promise you that. And it's going to hurt for a long time. But it will get better! You just have to stay strong and believe that," he said.

"But what about Brooke? She's always so angry. She told me earlier that she didn't even want to talk to me!" Nathan responded, almost in tears.

"She just needs time. I know how hard this is for you Nathan. I've been there. But I also know how hard this is for Brooke after seeing Lydia lose her child. It's harder on the mother. You just need to be there for her. Even if she says she doesn't want you there, just be there. Sit in the background so she knows it. That's all you can do. She'll come to you when she's ready," Jimmy told him, squeezing his shoulder before heading back up to Haley's hospital room.

Nathan sat there contemplating what Mr. James had said. Seeing the way he and his wife are together, you never would have guessed that they went through a tragedy like that. They were just so happy!

Nathan never put too much thought into God and prayer before. But after hearing Jimmy's story, he said a quick prayer for him and Brooke, hoping they would one day get to that point.

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**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	21. 18: I love you Brooke

**A/N: Hey there! So here's my next chapter! Thank you to everyone that is reading, reviewing, and loving my story! And thank you to Morgan, for always helping me when I need it! Let me know what you guys think!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!**

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Nathan left the hospital in a daze, just taking in Mr. James' words. Walking the streets of Tree Hill, there was nothing he wanted more than for Brooke to come to him. To need him as much as he needed her. Sure, he could talk to Lucas, or Tim, or his dad. But they didn't understand. They weren't there.

They didn't have to watch Brooke give birth to the lifeless body of their daughter. They didn't see the pain in Brooke's eyes as she pushed Molly Erin out of her. They didn't have to kiss their dead daughter goodbye.

He continued walking, not paying attention to where he was going, as the rain started pouring down. After a few minutes, he looked up, realizing where his feet had taken him. The Tree Hill Cemetery. Taking the same path he took this morning, he came upon Molly Erin's grave, the big mound of dirt becoming mud from the rain. There wasn't even a headstone yet. It wouldn't come in for about six weeks.

He knelt down to his knees, placed a hand on the mound of dirt, and let his tears mix with the rain.

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Brooke lie in bed, cursing Nathan for going to the hospital. In reality, it wasn't really him she was mad at. She wasn't even mad at Haley for going into labor. She was mainly mad at herself. She should have known better. She should have taken better care of herself. She should have…

Before she could finish another thought, there was a knock on the bedroom door. She turned over to see Dan Scott peek his head into the room. He slowly entered and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Brooke, can I talk to you for a second?" he asked. Brooke sat up and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, nodding.

"I just wanted to see how you were holding up. I know you might not trust this new me. But I care for you like my own daughter. You were always there for Nathan when his mother and I weren't. And I can't express how happy that made me knowing that even if we weren't there, someone was. You took care of him when we couldn't, or actually wouldn't," Dan explained, tears coming to his eyes.

"And I don't know how hard this is for the both of you. But I can imagine. Just thinking of losing Nathan, or you, or Lucas. I don't know what I would do with myself. But I just want you to know that it's okay to be upset and angry right now. No one expects you to be the bubbly, happy teenager you've been. But Brooke, you need to let it out. Don't hold it all in. I know it has to be hard to talk about. But it's not going to get any better if you bottle everything inside of you. It's all just going to come exploding out one day soon, and I promise, it won't be pretty."

Brooke sat up straight and looked him in the eyes, trying to decide if she could trust him.

"Dan thanks for trying, but it's not going to work. You haven't been around the last few years so you have no idea about anything that has happened. So don't come in here acting all good now. Your little act is not going to make me talk about Molly," Brooke told him, fire in her eyes.

"Brooke, I wasn't trying to make you talk to me. I was just trying to make you realize that if you keep holding it all in, it won't be good. You need to talk to someone though. Maybe not me, or Tim, or Peyton, or even Nathan. But someone Brooke. I can even call a few counseling centers to find you someone to talk to. A grief counselor might be good for you," Dan said, standing his ground. He saw how Brooke's anger made Nathan walk away. But he wasn't going to do that. He could see the wheels in her head turning as she contemplated the idea.

"I'll think about it," Brooke said quietly, no emotion in her voice.

"That's all I ask Brooke. I'll leave you alone now," Dan replied. Right before he left the room, Brooke called him back.

"Can I borrow your car? I left mine at Peyton's and I have somewhere I need to go."

"Sure, the keys are on the kitchen counter. It's yours for as long as you need," he said, closing the door behind him. Brooke jumped from the bed, shedding her dress she wore to the funeral. She pulled on her favorite pair of jeans, her "lazy jeans," and stole a black tank top from Nathan's drawer, the ones he called "wifebeaters." She then threw her hair up into a messy ponytail and tied her tennis shoes on her feet. Wiping the mascara from underneath her eyes, she quickly ran down the stairs, swiped the keys from the counter, and headed for the garage.

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At the Hospital:

Haley sat up in the hospital bed, breastfeeding her son for the first time, Lucas by her side. They were in complete awe of Mason. After a few minutes, she was done feeding him, and welcomed their friends back into the room. Peyton, Tim, Skills, Bevin, Karen, Dan, Mouth, Lydia, and Jimmy James filed into the room and all got as comfortable as they could with the limited seating.

"Haley, he's amazing," Dan whispered, shocked that Lucas and Haley were letting him in the room, let alone hold Mason. After Brooke had left, he decided to go for a walk to clear his head and ended up at the hospital. He gazed down at his grandson, feeling an ache in his heart. He watched Mason open his bright blue eyes and yawn. Dan ran a hand along his head, noticing the barely there blond hair like his father's. It made him wonder what Molly Erin looked like. Brooke and Nathan were the only ones that had seen her.

"You're thinking about Brooke and Nathan aren't you?" Lucas asked, standing next to the man that was almost a stranger to him. Dan nodded his head.

"I haven't really gotten a chance to talk to him. You think he'll be okay?" Lucas asked, catching the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Eventually, yes. It's going to take some time though. He's just trying to be strong for everyone else. He doesn't realize that's what we're for, to be strong for him so he can really break down and start to grieve. Of course, it's not helping with Brooke lashing out at him in anger and shutting him out," Dan explained. This made Tim perk up and come to the defense of his friends.

"Actually, I talked to Brooke earlier. Well, really we stared at the wall until my ass went numb, but that's a different story," Tim laughed, "Anyways, she kind of opened up to me. She didn't talk about Molly. She talked about _not_ wanting to talk about Molly. She's getting angry because she can't talk about it yet. She said it makes it more real to her. She just needs time to process it all before she can open up to anyone. And no matter how angry she seems at Nathan, he'll be the first person she goes to. He always has been."

With that said, everyone became silent. The new parents reveling in the miracle of their child. The new grandmother trying to stay positive for everyone. The new grandfather celebrating the birth of his grandson and mourning the loss of his granddaughter. And the friends not too sure what to feel.

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At the Cemetery:

Nathan had been kneeling at Molly's grave for the past thirty minutes, crying his eyes out. He had tried to stay strong for Brooke. But there was only so much he could take. He finally had to let it out. He cried until he didn't think he could produce any more tears. He cried for himself. He cried for Brooke. And mostly, he cried for the daughter he lost.

Sure, he hadn't been too thrilled with the idea of becoming a father at first. But once he and Brooke made up, he started to warm up to the idea. Finally, seeing how happy Brooke was being pregnant, there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to be a father. He was sure that they could do it. They would find a way to go to college and have their careers while raising Molly.

Now all the dreams and goals he just made were gone. He would never get to raise Molly. He would never get to see her take her first steps, or say her first word. He would never get to laugh when Brooke slipped up and cussed in front of her, making her say the same word over and over again. Because honestly, Brooke could cuss like a sailor when she felt like it.

And speaking of Brooke, "Nathan."

He barely heard her whisper over the rain. But when he looked up, she was standing there, about five feet away from him, soaked to the bone. Her hair was plastered to her head, her makeup was gone, his black wifebeater clung to her skin along with her lazy jeans. And he still thought he had never seen anyone more beautiful.

"What are you doing here Brooke?" he asked, not bothering to try to cover up the fact that he had been crying.

"I don't really know to be honest. I was just so mad at you, and Haley, and myself. I had to get out of there before I attacked your dad just to let some anger out. This is where I ended up," she shrugged. Nathan stood from his spot on the ground and faced her.

"Brooke," he started. She held up a hand to stop him.

"Nathan, look, I've been doing some thinking. And I've got an aunt in Florida. I was thinking about maybe going down there for a while," she told him.

"What? No, you can't," Nathan responded.

"Why not?" she asked back.

"Brooke, you can't just leave! We just lost Molly!" he shouted over the rain, not believing her.

"Exactly. And I need some time. So maybe this will help," she said as Nathan rolled his eyes.

"You can have all the time in the world that you want. Just don't leave!"

"Why not?" she repeated.

"Because I love you," he said. Brooke's eyes went wide with fear. This was one conversation she didn't want to have right now. She didn't know if she could handle him telling her how he felt.

"You can't. Not after everything that happened," she said quietly, thinking about Molly again.

"But I do. I still love you Brooke. And you know how I can say that with absolute certainty? Because I know you. And I know that you bite your lip when you're nervous. Or excited. Either one. And I know that you're not the normal girl that likes two hour baths. You never have. Or that when you're in a hurry, you can take a shower in exactly two minutes and twenty-seven seconds. I can't even do that! And I know that you don't have a favorite ice cream because you think that every flavor deserves to be tasted every once in a while. I know that you have exactly sixty-seven pair of shoes because you counted them one day while you arranged them in order. And when you sleep, there is always that moment when you're in a really deep sleep, that you mumble my name and I love it when you do that. And I know, without a doubt in my mind, that I love you for who you are. Not what did or didn't happen. Molly died, and it hurts. So bad. And I need you. And I know you need me more than _you_ even know. SO please, just let me need you back," Nathan said in a spontaneous speech. He meant every word of it.

Brooke stood there with tears running down her face, taking in his words. As much as she was hurting over Molly's death, she now knew he was hurting just as much. Not knowing if she could say the words, she decided to let her actions speak for her instead.

She quickly crossed the five feet between them, jumping into his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. He caught her easily, his hands resting between her hips and backside. Brooke pressed her lips to Nathan's, needing to feel that contact.

"I'm so sorry Nate," she whispered as she pulled away.

"It wasn't your fault Brooke. Things happen," he told her.

"I love you," she responded.

"I love you too Brookie."

"Let's go home Natey," Brooke said quietly, leading the way to Dan's car. They agreed they would go in the morning to get Nathan's car from the hospital. But for now, they just needed to be with each other.

When they got to Dan's house, Nathan parked the car and led Brooke upstairs to his room. They didn't bother to turn the lights on. Just quickly changed into some dry clothes and laid down on the bed together. Both knew that nothing sexual was going to happen. They just wanted to lie in each other's arms.

"Nathan, I think we need to talk," Brooke whispered in the silence after a couple of hours.

"Shh, we can do that tomorrow. I just want to hold you tonight. Tomorrow, I promise," Nathan whispered back, wrapping his arms tighter around Brooke. She curled into his chest, placing a soft kiss on his neck.

"I love you. You know that?" she asked him. He ran his hands through her hair and sighed.

"I've always known that Brookie. You don't have to say it for me to know it," he replied, kissing her forehead.

"Oh, and it's seventy now," she said with a slight laugh.

"What is?" Nathan asked in confusion.

"I now have seventy pair of shoes. There was a sale a few weeks ago!" she laughed. He joined her in laughter, loving the sound of it.

"You're crazy B! I love you so much," he snickered, kissing her deeply. He knew that even though they were both still in pain over losing Molly, and would be for a long time, they just made a breakthrough. Maybe now they could really start to grieve and get past the hurt.

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**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	22. 19: I fell asleep

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A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry it's taken me a while to update. For one thing, I wanted this chapter to be perfect and realistic so it took a while to get it just right! I hope you like it!

**Second, I started a new story. I know, crazy right? I did put my other one "It's Perfect," on permanent hiatus for the time being. I'm not motivated to get that one going. I lost all inspiration for it. But I did find new inspiration! It's called "All Bets Are Off," and is awesome! At least, I think so! Lol…Please, please, please go to my profile and check out that story! The second chapter should be up by this weekend! I would really appreciate yall going to read that one. And any feedback would be appreciated too!**

**Big, HUGE, thanks to Morgan, my beta, my co-writer, me editor, and my friend for helping me with everything. You guys don't understand that if it wasn't for this girl, I wouldn't be writing for this site anymore! She helps me with not only editing and beta-ing, but with ideas for the stories. And she helps me with everything else going on in my life so I have time to write! Lol So for that, I thank you friend!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!**

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Brooke POV

"I'm sorry," I whispered in to the darkness. We have been lying in silence for the past five hours. It was now nearing four am. When we first got home about nine, after he said he just wanted to hold me, we stayed like that for an hour. By then, I desperately wanted a shower. Nathan went to fix us some sandwiches while I showered.

After we ate, we resumed our position on the bed; Nathan on his back, arms wrapped around me with my head on his chest, against his heart.

And that's how we've been since. Not talking, not moving. Just being.

"Huh?" Nathan mumbled sleepily. He had been dozing for the last fifteen minutes.

"I said I'm sorry," I repeated, lifting my head to look at him.

"For what?"

"For the way I treated you. I was wrong and I'm sorry," I explained.

"B, it's okay," he said, closing his eyes again.

"No Nathan, it's not okay," I told him, sitting up Indian style, "I think we need to talk about it now."

He opened one eye to look at me. After realizing I was serious, he sat up as well, leaning against the headboard.

"Okay, let's talk about it," he said quietly, "You want to start?"

I nodded my head, took a deep breath, and began.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"You said that already," he said dryly.

"Let me finish. I'm sorry Nathan. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry for hitting you. I'm sorry for being so cruel to you. And I'm sorry I lost Molly Erin," I said quickly He sat up straight with a pitiful look in his eyes.

"Brooke, you didn't lose Molly Erin. It's not your fault. She died but it's not your fault. These things happen," Nathan said to me.

"But I didn't tell anyone that she stopped kicking! She didn't kick for almost two days. And I did nothing but blame you and yell at you after she died. And I'm so sorry!"

"Okay, look, we said we'd talk about it. And we should be completely honest right?" he asked as I nodded my head, "Okay, so I'm not going to lie and tell you it's okay anymore. It's not. I've never been made to feel like nothing before. At least not until after Molly died. The things you said to me and the way you treated me hurt me just as much as losing Molly.

"Brooke, that baby meant so much to me. And she still does. And it hurts so much now that she's gone. But I couldn't tell anyone how I felt because I had to be strong for you. I had to be there for you. I had to make sure you were okay before I could take care of myself.

"Because, face it Brooke, you've always been everything to me. And I'm sorry, but I can't keep this up. I can't keep acting like I'm okay. I can't keep putting on a brave face while comforting you. Because I'm hurting just as much as you are. I might not have carried Molly inside of me. But she was just as much a part of me as she was to you," he explained, tears running down his face as he spoke.

I never knew he felt this way. The only thing he showed was how concerned he was for me. It all made sense now. I felt like the worst girlfriend in history.

"Nate, you should have just told me this from the beginning. I had no idea!" I exclaimed.

"Exactly Brooke! You were so torn up that I couldn't even talk to you. You told me to never even touch you again. What was I supposed to do?" he asked in desperation. Before I could do anything, le turned his body to lay his head in my lap and cry. I didn't know what to do. In all the years that I've known Nathan, I've never seen him cry like this. My own tears escaped as I stroked his hair. I leaned down to kiss his cheek, whispering in his ear.

"I'm here now Nathan. I'm sorry that I've been so selfish that I couldn't see how much you were hurting, but I'm here now."

He sat up to wrap his arms around me as we cried together. We cried for ourselves. We cried for our pain. And we cried for the daughter we dearly loved in such a short time.

Two hours later, we were still in each other's arms, lying back down now. The sun was starting to rise, shining through the windows of the room.

"We have to go back to school Monday," Nathan mumbled into my hair.

"Yeah," I whispered in acknowledgement.

"I don't want to face everyone," Nathan said quietly. I knew how hard it was going to be. All the stares, the whispers. It would be horrible.

"So we won't. We'll just go to school and stick to ourselves. We don't have to deal with anyone just yet. The ones that care know how hard this is for us. And as soon as that last bell rings, we can come back here and lock ourselves in this room again," I told him, wiping a stray tear from his cheek with my thumb.

"Okay," he agreed, kissing my nose.

The next day was spent much like the last night. We only ventured out of our room when it was absolutely necessary; to shower, use the restroom, and eat once. Nathan snuck into the kitchen when Dan was engrossed in a football game on tv. He quickly grabbed what he could without drawing attention to himself. Which was a loaf of bread, some sandwich meat, two sodas, a bag of chips, and a package of chocolate chip cookies. We ate in silence. Actually, the whole day was spent in almost complete silence.

That night, sometime around 2:30, I started to fall asleep. Nathan, lying with one arm thrown over my side, had been asleep for an hour. I hadn't slept much since Molly Erin died so I welcomed the sleep. An hour and a half later, I woke screaming. I jolted up, pulling Nathan with me. Trembling, I wiped at my face, surprised to find that I was crying.

"What the hell just happened?" I faintly heard Nathan ask. I was still too numb from the nightmare to say anything. He just gathered me in his arms and rocked me while I sobbed.

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Nathan POV:

Sleep. Something I've hardly done since Molly Erin died. Not that I didn't want to; I just couldn't. Visions and flashes of Molly's lifeless body haunted me when I closed my eyes. Plus, Brooke couldn't really sleep so I would stay up for her. But tonight, I couldn't keep my eyes open. With one arm around Brooke, I drifted into a restless slumber.

I'm not going to lie; I saw Molly in my head the whole time I was asleep. It started with feeling her kick while still in Brooke's stomach. Then I saw a two year old version of her with a dark brown mess of hair and my blue eyes, Brooke's dimples showing when she smiled. Next, I saw her at her high school graduation, delivering her valedictory speech, clearly becoming an upstanding young woman.

The last vision of Molly was on her wedding day. I had walked her down the aisle and before I handed her to the groom, I went to raise her veil. Raising it, I was terrified of what I saw. Instead of the beautiful, blushing bride I was expecting, I saw a dead, lifeless, blue face staring back at me. Before I could scream, I was woken by someone else's screaming.

"What the hell just happened?" I managed to stutter, not realizing it was Brooke that screamed or pulled me up with her. Once my vision came into focus, I realized Brooke's state. She had her hands tangle din her hair, eyes wide with fear, and her entire body was shaking. Forgetting all about my nightmare, I wrapped her up in my arms and let her cry.

By five am, we had managed to lie down in an uncomfortable silence after revealing each other's nightmares that have plagued us since Molly's death. By 6:45, I had to break the silence.

"B, we have to get ready for school," I mumbled. She just sighed in response.

"Why don't you jump in the shower? I'll get you something to wear," I suggested. Slowly but surely she got out of bed. When she came out wrapped in a towel, she saw her "lazy jeans", one of my black wife beaters, a pair of black flip flops, and my big black hoodie that she loved.

"Thanks Nate," she whispered, getting dressed while I took a quick shower. I drove one of my dad's cars to school that day, running to the passenger side to help Brooke out. Walking up to the school, Brooke stiffened up when we saw all our friends at a table in the quad waiting for the bell to ring.

I paused slightly to whisper, "Do you want to stop?" in Brooke's ear. She quickly shook her head, avoided all eye contact, and let me lead her into the school. To say our friends were confused was an understatement.

The day went by in a blur. If I wasn't in class with Brooke, I was worried that she would fall asleep in class and have another nightmare. That kind of attention from classmates if she started screaming is the last thing she needs. And clearly, our actions this morning showed our friends that we still needed time to ourselves, even if we were at school. Surprisingly, Peyton even kept her distance.

When it was finally time for lunch, I sprang from my math class, desperate to get to Brooke before anyone else. I caught up with her as she was walking out of her psychology class, the hood on my hoodie up to hide her face. But I could still see the worry and fear on her face.

"Did something happen?" I asked quietly, wrapping one arm around her shoulders as I steered her through the hallways.

"I fell asleep," she whispered back, tears brimming her eyes.

"Did you dream?" I asked. She didn't even need to answer me. I could tell by the stares and the look in her eyes that she had. This is what I was afraid of. We made it to the cafeteria and I sat her down at an empty table, grabbing a sandwich for each of us out of my bag, before speaking again.

"What happened Brooke?"

"I saw her again. It was different this time. She wasn't a still birth. She was alive and real and about two. But then she changed. We were just sitting at home playing with her in the living room when she started turning blue and stopped breathing. I freaked out, not knowing what to do. So I just started crying and screaming her name. I woke up screaming again. I didn't know what to do Nathan. I was so scared and you weren't there. Everyone was looking at me like I had lost my mind!" she explained, tears running down her face. She scrambled to wipe her tears with the sleeve of my hoodie before anyone noticed.

"It's okay B, don't worry about what anyone else thinks. We'll just have to be more careful okay? I'll stay up tonight so you can get some sleep. If you start to dream, I'll wake you up before it gets too bad. And we have history next. I'll make sure to wake you up if you start to dream in there too. Okay?" I said, trying to help her out in any way I could.

I was tired, and still hurting, and very sad still, but I had to watch out for her too. I couldn't let myself get too caught up in my own exhaustion and fear of sleep and let Brooke slip through the cracks. If anyone else found out that we weren't sleeping, or if anyone found out about the horrible nightmares, there's no telling what they would do. Send us to a hospital, try to medicate us to make us sleep. Who knows? So I had to keep my guard up and watch out for my Brooke.

A few tables away, I noticed Peyton and Tim glancing at us warily. I nudged Brooke, who looked up and saw the same thing.

"Let's just go to history now. I don't want to talk to them yet," Brooke whispered, grabbing her bag off the floor and standing up. I grabbed my backpack, forgetting about the sandwiches we didn't eat, and guided her out of the cafeteria.

Halfway through our history class, I noticed Brooke had fallen asleep in the desk in front of mine. When she started to shake and her breathing became heavy, I knew she had started dreaming. I gently tapped her on the back, trying to wake her up. Apparently, gentle tapping wasn't enough to coax her out of this dream. So I had to nudge her a little harder. She shot up in her seat so quickly I thought she was going to fall out of her desk. Before she could catch anyone's attention, though, she righted herself. Turning quickly to throw a lopsided grin at me was her way of saying thank you without having to talk.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Peyton, Tim, and Lucas were gathered together whispering about their friends.

"You guys, something is wrong with them! I mean, they look like they haven't slept in weeks! And Brooke's not even wearing any makeup so I know something is wrong!" Peyton exclaimed.

"Peyt, they did just lose their daughter. They're probably just having a hard time dealing with it. Wouldn't you?" Lucas asked, slightly annoyed with Peyton for being so nosy.

"Yes Lucas, I would have a hard time dealing with it. But look at them, Brooke won't even talk to anyone. And I heard that she fell asleep in psychology and woke up screaming! That can't be good!" she told the guys.

"Baby, look, let's just give them their space. I'm sure when they're ready, they'll come to us. Okay?" Tim suggested. Peyton just nodded her head.

I couldn't help but notice them whispering and watching us. I knew they were talking about us. I wish they would stop. I mean, how hard it is to leave us alone after our daughter just died? It's like they don't get it.

* * *

After School:

I had talked to Whitey earlier that day about taking a leave of absence from the team so I could deal with Molly's death. He agreed rather quickly. So when school ended, Brooke and I just walked to our car and drove home. My dad was home for a change and tried to talk to us, invite us out for dinner. Brooke just shook her head and headed for the stairs.

"Not tonight Dad," I mumbled, following Brooke's lead. When we got to our room, Brooke slid her flip flops off her feet, set her bag down at the end of the bed, and climbed up on the bed to lie down for a while.

"Nate, are you sure about staying up tonight?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course. You need the sleep more than I do! You want to go ahead and try to sleep now?" I asked, seeing the dark purple marks under her eyes from the lack of sleep. She nodded her head and laid down under the covers. Brooke was asleep within five minutes. I figured I could use this time to try to get caught up on some of the school work I missed last week. Sounds odd I know, but I guess that was one thing I kept from mine and Haley's relationship; the want to do better in school.

Four hours later, Brooke was still sleeping. Maybe not peacefully, but at least nightmare-free. Or so I had thought. In the last hour, I had finished all of my work and had lie down next to Brooke. I quickly found my eyes wanting to close. But I had to stay awake for Brooke. If she had another nightmare and I wasn't there to wake her up, I would feel horribly guilty. Yet, I couldn't stop my eyes from closing. It was like they ahd a mind of their own.

About ten minutes after I fell asleep, I was woken by screaming and a pounding on my bedroom door. I sat up to see Brooke screaming in her sleep, tossing and turning. Before I could do anything about the person banging on the door, I had to wake her up. I shook her rather roughly to try to wake her up. After a minute or two, she opened her eyes, gasping for breath, her screams stopped.

"Brooke, I'm so sorry, I fell asleep. Are you okay?" I asked, in fear of her answer. She was still gasping for breath, looking scared, and wasn't able to answer me just yet. She just collapsed in my arms as the person outside my door burst into the room.

"Nathan, Brooke, what happened?" my dad asked, holding a baseball bat.

"Dad, it's okay. It was just a bad dream. What's the bat for?" I asked curiously.

"I could hear her downstairs. I thought something horrible happened. Is she okay?" he asked, seeing Brooke's state. She was still huddled in my arms sobbing.

"She'll be fine. Can you leave us alone please?" I asked rather rudely, not wanting to explain Brooke's nightmares to my dad.

After he left the room, I pulled Brooke up to look at me. Her crying had stopped but her shaking had not.

"Brooke, look at me!" I demanded. Her eyes slowly made their way to mine.

"Nate, I was so scared. Please don't make me go back to sleep. I can't do that again," she cried. I just hugged her back to my body, trying to soothe her.

"Don't worry B, you don't have to go to sleep. We'll just find something else to do okay?" I said, trying to calm her down. I know how scary her nightmares can be, I have them myself. I just prayed that this didn't last much longer. I'm not sure if we could function without sleep for too much longer.

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**A/N: Please tell me what you think!**


	23. 20: It hurts to be happy

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter done. I know I said it would be a week and it was longer. But I got sidetracked by school, my book I'm writing, my other story, and some personal stuff. My little brother's close friend was killed in a car wreck yesterday. I was with my brother and his friends all day yesterday, as were all the parents, and one of their baseball coaches trying to help them cope with losing their friend. So that couldn't be helped. **

**Not trying to make this a super long AN, but I hope everyone likes this chapter. It's kind of a filler with Nathan and Brooke's POVs again. A little fluff, a small sex scene, and a little more fluff!**

**Once again, please check out my other story **_**All Bets Are Off**_**. I would really appreciate it. I'm hoping to have the next chapter to that one out by the end of this week! **

**Big thanks to Morgan, like always, for helping me. Love ya girly and I can't wait til this summer when you come down to Houston!**

**R.I.P. Andrew Sarabia. Everyone will miss you and we all love you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!**

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NPOV

The next day at school passed by in a blur. I'm not sure if it was actually the day going by so quickly or if it was my lack of sleep. Brooke and I hadn't slept at all the rest of the night after my dad had burst in the room with a baseball bat; which I still find slightly humorous. I think the lack of sleep is starting to mess with me. I mean, my dad ran in the room ready to beat the shit out of someone with a baseball bat and I find it funny.

Anyway, as I was saying, the day went by quickly. Our friends didn't really try to interact with us. Actually, no one interacted with us. I think Brooke screaming in her sleep kind of made everyone back off. The only person that did try to talk to us was Tim. Honestly, I was expecting Peyton since she thinks everything we go through is her business. Maybe slamming the door in her face was a good idea and made her realize to back off a little.

Flashback:

"_Yo Nate!" I heard Tim shout as I walked into one of the only classes I had without Brooke, math. I looked at him for a second before sitting in my desk. Obviously, he didn't get the hint as he came and sat next to me._

"_You alright Nate?" he asked quietly as to not draw attention to us. I looked to my left and gave him a look of pure annoyance._

"_Sure, just fan-fucking-tastic Timmy," I drawled, not wanting to speak anymore than I had to. I feel awkward talking to anyone but Brooke now. _

"_Nate, you don't have to be so angry. I know you lost Molly, and it sucks dude, I know. But I'm still your friend. I know you and I know how bad you're hurting," he said sympathetically which just pissed me off even more._

"_You know how bad I'm hurting? No Tim, you don't know. You don't know what it felt like having to watch Brooke give birth to a dead baby. You don't know what it felt like having to watch your daughter be buried. You don't know what it felt like to know that you would never get to see her grow up. And you have no clue what it feels like now. You aren't there Tim; you only hear the rumors going around. You don't know the truth to them. You don't know that Brooke wakes up screaming because she can't get rid of seeing Molly die over and over in her sleep. You don't know that I wake up shaking and crying because I see the same thing in my sleep. So don't sit here and tell me you know how bad I'm fucking hurting!" I spat at him, not bothering to talk in a whisper. Of course, all that did was grab the attention of the class and the teacher._

"_Mr. Scott, if you can't stay quiet and pay attention, you're more than welcome to leave this room and go see Mr. Turner," my teacher said, turning her back to the class. I just shook my head and walked out of the room, going to sit in the gym until that period was over._

I figured Tim probably told the rest of our friends about that little break down I had. I wasn't proud of it. Brooke and I promised each other not to tell anyone about the nightmares. I just broke my promise to her. When class ended, I found her outside of her psychology class; she was wearing the hood of my hoodie up on her head again. I slid my arm around her shoulders and told her quietly what happened with Tim. To say she was upset was an understatement. She was down right pissed off at me. I apologized over and over. She finally forgave me at the end of lunch. Thank God! I don't know if I could have dealt with the silent treatment again.

"Hey Nate, are you hungry?" Brooke asked out of the blue. We had been locked in my room working on homework all night. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand; it was almost midnight.

"Yeah, I can eat. Besides, I'll need the energy to stay awake tonight," I replied, lazily getting off my bed. Peeking out of the room, I saw all the lights in the house off, meaning my dad was already in bed. Brooke preferred it this way. She liked not being around that many people now. We decided to start a routine. One of us would stay awake during the night so the other could sleep. Whoever didn't sleep got to sleep during history class the next day. We would eat a small lunch just to keep us going. After school, before my dad would get home, we would eat another small meal before locking ourselves in my room. After my dad went to sleep, we decided we would sneak downstairs and make ourselves a big meal that would give us enough energy to stay awake as long as possible.

"You want some breakfast?" I asked Brooke. She nodded her head yes, going to the pantry to get the pancake mix out. Brooke wasn't too skilled in the cooking department. I wasn't amazing either, but I had picked up a few things here and there. Growing up, Brooke's nanny taught me how to make pancakes just right, bacon not burnt, and eggs scrambled to perfection. The only thing Brooke learned was to make toast without the toaster catching on fire. She gladly started placing pieces of bread on the counter, ready to toast before jumping up to sit next to the stove, ready to watch me work.

An hour later, we were still sitting in the kitchen. I had finished breakfast and we ate at the breakfast bar next to each other. Eating together, we were silent. But it wasn't the awkward, tense silence that I had grown accustomed to the last few days. It was a peaceful silence. I know that we still have so much healing to go through. But it felt like for once, we could sit and enjoy each other without having to worry about nightmares or anything.

"You want to find something to do so we don't have to worry about falling asleep?" Brooke asked, getting another cup of coffee before refilling my cup. She stood at the counter and poured so much sugar and creamer in her cup that I wanted to gag. I'm not a big coffee fan but when I do drink it, I drink it black. All that other shit is gross.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Board game?" she asked.

"We're not ten anymore. Besides, the last time we tried to play a board game, Peyton got so pissed that she lost that she broke the damn board over my head. Kind of turned me against board games!" I replied. Brooke burst out in laughter as she remembered that night. I just sat and watched her. It was nice to hear her laugh again. Maybe I was staring a little too much because she instantly stopped laughing when she noticed me looking at her intently.

"What?" she asked, her hand going to her face like something was on her.

"Nothing," I said shaking my head, "It's just good to hear you laugh again."

After saying that, she came over and wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning against me between my legs.

"Nate, I love you. You know that right?" she asked quietly, placing her forehead against mine. I nodded my head.

"I've always known that B! I love you too, you know that right?" I asked back.

"I know. To the moon and back!" she giggled, kissing my lips quickly.

"Now, how about some videogames? I'll let you pick which one!" I said, grabbing her hand and leading her up the stairs to my, or now our room. I had my dad go back to the apartment one day for me and clean it out. I didn't want to go back to that place. I told Haley that she and Lucas could have it now. Start their family there. I was happy right where I was with Brooke. Who was currently picking out a videogame.

"This one?" she asked, holding up my favorite, NBA Live. I nodded my head enthusiastically as she put it in.

* * *

"I knew you were cheating!" Brooke shouted, smacking me on the arm.

"I was not! You just suck at this game!" I laughed. She threw me a screw you look.

"I do not! I rock at this game, you just cheat too much!" she accused, a smile growing on her lips as she spoke. But as fast as it came, her smile vanished, replaced by a frown.

"What's wrong?" I asked in concern. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"It hurts to be happy," she whispered. My heart broke at hearing that.

"Oh Brookie, come here," I mumbled, tossing my controller and taking her in my arms. I rubbed her back trying to calm her down when I felt her stiffen in my arms. I pulled away to look at her and was shocked by what I saw. I knew that look in her eyes, I knew what it meant. She always got that look right before sex. That kind of worries me.

"Nate," she whispered in her raspy voice before leaning forward to capture my lips with hers. As much as I know how wrong this is, I can't help it. The feel of Brooke's lips on mine is like a drug to me. I just can't stop.

Before I knew it, I was on my back, shirt off, pants unbuttoned, with Brooke straddling me. I reached up and removed her shirt as she started to work on her pants.

"Brooke, wait," I whispered. She made no move to stop. Instead, she stood up and pulled her jeans off, leaving only a pair of black lacy boy shorts with a black bra. I sat up, leaning back on my elbows, to take in the sight of her.

"Like what you see Natey?" she teased, straddling me again. I reached around her to the clasp on her bra, popping it off like a pro. Taking her right breast in my mouth, I reached a hand down and pushed the fabric of her panties aside, inserting one finger into her warmth. She gasped into my mouth, making me smirk against her lips. Without me even making another move, she started rocking her hips against my hand. Her moans excited me even further as I inserted another finger in her.

"Nate, please, I need you now!" she moaned into my mouth. That was all I wanted to hear. I ripped, literally ripped, her panties off. Her hands reached down to help me slide my pants down my legs. Boxers came next. All of a sudden, we were both naked, me hovering over Brooke. Her legs were rubbing up and down my legs, her hands rubbing circles on my back. I looked down at her and realized I couldn't go through with this.

"I can't do this," I whispered, rolling off of her.

"What?" she asked, sounding very angry. She sat up to look at me. I had my back turned to her. Looking over my shoulder, I saw her broken face.

"I'm sorry," I whispered again, slipping my boxers on and leaving the room. Walking downstairs, I felt so ashamed of myself.

"Nathan? What are you doing up?" I heard my dad's voice ask from the kitchen. Glancing down, I was grateful Nathan Jr. decided to go back to bed.

"Couldn't sleep. Why are you awake?" I asked him, taking a seat at the kitchen table. He came and sat next to me, handing me a beer while taking a swig of his own. I didn't even ask; it's not every day my dad hands me a beer.

"Couldn't sleep either. Molly's death is really getting to me," he answered. I was taken aback by his reply.

"You know dad, I'm really proud of you. I know it's probably weird to hear me say that, but I am. You really changed. And thanks for all your help with the funeral," I told him, taking a sip of my beer.

"It's not a problem Nathan. You're my son and Brooke is like a daughter to me. I love you both. Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he asked, smirking at me.

"Why do you think something is wrong?"

"Nate, I'm your father. I may not have been the best at it or been around that much when you were younger, but I still know you. I can tell when something is bothering you."

I sighed, realizing he was right. I was like my mom in that way, I don't hide my emotions very well.

"Is it Brooke?" he asked quietly. I nodded my head with a frown, taking a long pull on my beer.

"I think I just did something very bad," I whispered.

"What happened Nate?"

"This is weird talking about with you."

"It's about sex isn't it?" he laughed. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Yeah. Brooke kind of started it and I went along with it. We made out, there was some touching, and right before we started having sex, I stopped. I couldn't do it. She broke down right before this happened and I could still see the tears in her eyes. I feel like such a dick, like I was taking advantage of her," I explained.

"She started it? And she was willing?" I nodded my head, "Then it wasn't taking advantage of her. This might sound odd, but maybe this is what you two need to begin healing. Maybe yall need to need each other in more ways than emotionally. It might do you some good."

"So let me get this straight; you; my father; are telling me to go upstairs and have sex with my girlfriend while you're in the house?" I asked with a smile.

"Maybe not tonight Nathan," he chuckled, "But eventually, yes. Maybe when I'm not here. Like next weekend, I'll be gone for a few days!"

"Okay, this has just become too weird. I feel like I've just entered the Twilight Zone. I'm going to bed now!" I laughed, throwing my empty beer away and leaving the room, hearing him laugh behind me.

* * *

BPOV

He just left. I can't believe this. I just laid there, naked, ready for him and he just got up and left. Mumbled "I'm sorry." Bullshit. If he was sorry, he wouldn't have let me start that to begin with.

"B?" I heard his whisper. I turned my back to the door to see him walking back into the room.

"What?" I sneered, turning to face him. He closed his eyes after looking at me, walking to the closet. He came out holding one of his larger t-shirts, walking up to me.

"Put this on please. I can't concentrate if you're naked!" he said quietly. I took the shirt from him and slipped it over my head. It came down to my knees, covering me completely. Not like it matters if I'm covered or not; he obviously doesn't want me like that anymore.

"I'm sorry Brooke," he mumbled, sitting down on his side of the bed. He's always slept on the right side of the bed, me curled up into his side in the middle of the bed.

"You're sorry? For what?" I asked rudely, "Leaving me again? I needed you Nathan and you walked out!"

"Brooke, you're not ready for that yet."

"How the hell would you know?"

"B, you can't sleep, and if you do, you have horrible nightmares. You obviously weren't in the right state of mind," he stated. I can't believe he's saying this right now. What the hell does he know? He has no idea what I'm thinking or what state of mind I'm in. So yeah, I just lost my daughter. I get that. But I just wanted my boyfriend to want me. I needed the comfort of his love to help heal me. Is that so hard to understand?

"You know nothing Nathan."

"Brooke, I know you. And I'm pretty sure I explained that the other day at the cemetery. I know you better than you know yourself! You feel vulnerable right now and you hate that. You want me to heal you but I know sex isn't the right answer. As good as it sounds, and trust me, it sounds amazing, it's not the answer right now. And I'm sorry for that. But maybe we should just try to deal with these nightmares first," he said. And as much as I don't want to admit it, he was right.

"So you do still want me?"I asked quietly, sitting in front of him on the bed.

"Of course I do B. And I swear to you, once we deal with these nightmares and finally get some sleep, I will show you exactly how much I want you," he whispered, leaning forward towards me. I bit my lip self consciously, hoping for a kiss. And I got it. A breath taking, seeing stars, leave me panting for breath kiss.

"I love you Brooke," he said against my lips.

"I know you do. I love you too. To the moon and back," I giggled.

* * *

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	24. Little Bitty Burger Barn

So I'm sure everyone thought this was a new chapter. And I really wish it was! But it's a very important note for some people. If you read my author's note for the last chapter of _In the Beginning,_ then you would have read that one of my brother's very close friends and teammates passed away on April 25th. There was a horrible car accident with six teenage boys riding together. The driver made one mistake of running a stop sign and we lost Andrew. It's been a very hard time for my brother and his friends so I have been spending a lot of time with them trying to help them deal with the pain of losing a friend.

Anyway, the point of this note is to let anyone that lives in Houston, TX and is reading this know something very important. There is a burger joint on Pinemont and Antoine in Northwest Houston called the Little Bitty Burger Barn that is doing something very incredible for Andrew and his family. Today and today only, 30% of all their sales is being donated to Andrew's family. So please, if you live in Houston, TX, go to this burger joint and buy a burger! I'll leave the website down at the bottom of the page so people can get direction.

Also, the next chapter of _All Bets Are Off_ should be up by tonight or tomorrow! And the next chapter of _In the Beginning_ should be up by next week! Thank you to everyone!

www(dot)littlebittyburgerbarn(dot)com (Just replace the (dot) with actual .)

R.I.P. Andrew Sarabia. You will always be missed and always be loved #6!


	25. 21: Please don't get angry

**A/N: First of all, I want to thank the people that left a review with their messages and keeping my brother and his friends in their prayers. It meant a lot. The fundraiser they held for Andrew was incredibly successful. **

**Second, thank you to all my readers that have stuck by me throughout this story. You guys are awesome! And thanks for all your reviews. Morgan, thank you too for all your help!**

**Third, and last, I am so sad to say this, but we're only a few chapters away from the end. By a few chapters, I mean literally like four chapters and an epilogue and it's done! I'm really not wanting it to end. I hope everyone likes this chapter!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!**

* * *

"I can't believe they didn't show up. Brooke's been dreaming of this day since we were ten!" Tim whispered to Peyton and Lucas in the row in front of him. It was graduation. Everyone was there. Well, everyone except Brooke and Nathan.

"And for our two missing graduates, your valedictorian, Haley James, will be accepting their diplomas on their behalf. Haley," Principal Turner said, giving her the podium to speak.

"I know I already made a speech and I'm sure you're all ready to leave and go party. But I have one more thing to say. Brooke Davis and Nathan Scott were, unfortunately, not able to make it today. And for them, I would like to accept their diplomas for them and say a few words about them. I'm sure you all know that this year was not the easiest year for my friends and me, especially Brooke and Nathan. We all went through many emotions; happiness, betrayal, sadness, heartache, and tragedy. But Brooke and Nathan went through the worst tragedy I can think of.

"As a mother myself, I understand the love a parent has for their child. I can't envision two people more ready and willing to be parents than Brooke and Nathan were. Sadly, their child was taken from them before anyone was ready. And Molly Erin Scott, if you're up there watching us, I want you to know that you will always be loved by your parents. And for everyone here, please do me one favor as you get ready to embark on the next journey of your life. Look at your loved ones; whether that may be your mother, father, brother, sister, grandparents, girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend, or just someone you hung out with in class; and tell them how much they mean to you. Don't let them walk away from you without knowing you love them. Make the most of your life and theirs. Thank you so much."

As Haley finished her speech, everyone was on their feet applauding. There were several people with tears streaming down their faces; mainly Lucas, Haley, Peyton, Tim, Karen, and Dan. The words Haley used to talk about Brooke and Nathan were so true and she wanted everyone to know it.

"You did great Hales," Peyton said, giving her a hug.

"Thanks. Okay, you guys ready to go? We've got a lot to do in one night!" she reminded them. Everyone loaded up in the cars and headed for Karen's Café.

* * *

The Next Morning:

"Brooke! Wake up!" Nathan shouted, shaking her by the shoulders. She popped up, barely missing hitting his chin with her head.

"Nathan!" she cried, throwing herself at him and burying her face in his chest.

"Shh, it's okay baby. It was just a dream," he replied, rubbing her back. These nightmares were getting a little out of hand. Nathan's were starting to go away. He had maybe two nightmares in the last three nights. As long as Brooke was curled up against him, he was getting better. Brooke, on the other hand, was getting worse. She refused to even try to sleep. Of course, her body wouldn't let her stay awake. She had gotten maybe four hours of sleep the last week.

"Come on; let's get you something to eat. Pancakes always make you feel better!" Nathan said with a slight laugh as Brooke started to calm down. She nodded her head, tugged on one of his large hoodies, and followed him down the stairs. Stepping off the last step, she ran right into Nathan's back.

"Ugh, Nathan. Move!" She mumbled, trying to push him out of the way.

"What's going on?" she heard him ask. She peered around him to see everyone standing in the kitchen like they were waiting for them.

"Nathan, Brooke, please have a seat. We need to talk to you," Dan said in the calmest voice Nathan had ever heard him use.

"No, I asked you what's going on dad. You know Brooke and I don't want to see anyone right now."

"I think that's part of the problem son. Just please, try to be reasonable and have a seat. We can all explain what's going on easier if you cooperate," Dan replied. Brooke and Nathan took a seat at the breakfast bar that faced everyone, Brooke huddling close to Nathan.

"Brooke, Nathan, first of all, we need you to know that we all love you," Karen said, standing next to Dan as Lucas, Haley, Peyton, and Tim sat at the kitchen table behind them. "Second, we're all very worried about you. Dan has told us about waking up to one or both of you screaming, and the incident with the bat. And the kids have told Dan and I about the few incidents in class where Brooke has woken up screaming and that you are very isolated from everyone."

"We just lost our daughter Karen. What do you expect from us? All rays of fucking sunshine?" Nathan asked, getting angry at the idea of being ambushed by their so-called friends.

"Nate, please don't get angry. We're just trying to help," Tim said, standing from the table but not letting go of Peyton's hand.

"Help? You call this help? Bombarding us with your so-called worry? This isn't help. Help would be letting us deal with this on our own terms, like we asked you to do!" Nathan shouted, standing from his chair so fast, it fell backwards. He looked from the group to Brooke, seeing the frightened look on her face.

"Nathan, try to understand where we're coming from. We're worried about you guys!" Peyton cried, tightening her grip on Tim's hand.

"No, you try to understand where we're coming from! Out of everyone, I expected you and Tim to understand the best. You're our best friends! And yet, you went along with this? Whatever, I'm done. Let's go Brooke!" Nathan said, reaching for Brooke's hand from his spot behind her. She just sat there, not moving, her gaze locked with Peyton's.

"Brooke, come on," Nathan growled. Anyone in the room could feel the tension between the two. Hardly sleeping was really taking a toll on them.

"B. Davis, please don't go," Peyton whispered, standing from her seat, letting go of Tim's hand, and walking towards her.

Brooke tore her gaze from Peyton to look back at Nathan.

What are you doing?" Nathan whispered. Brooke looked from Nathan to Peyton and back to Nathan again.

"Nate, maybe they're right. Maybe we can't do this on our own. Maybe we do need help," she whispered to him, getting up from her seat at the breakfast bar and approaching Nathan. Everyone stood still and silent waiting.

"B, you were the one that said you didn't want anyone else's help."

"I know that Nate, and I thought I didn't. But maybe I was wrong," Brooke took his hands in hers, staring up into his eyes full of tears. "Maybe they can help."

"Brooke, I don't know. I mean, what can they really do for us that we haven't tried ourselves?" he whispered in her ear.

"I don't know. But I do know that I can't keep going on like this. Just trust me okay?" Nathan nodded his agreement and let Brooke lead him around the breakfast bar towards their friends and family.

"I missed you B. Davis," Peyton whispered, wrapping her arms around Brooke in a much needed hug. Brooke, with her free hand, tugged Nathan into the hug. He came forward with a sad smile on his face, wrapping his arms around the girls as Tim rushed forward and joined in.

"We missed you too P. Sawyer," Brooke whispered back, hanging on for dear life.

* * *

Two Days Later:

"So, Brooke, Nathan, Dan has given me the short story of why you're here. Would you like to give me the full story?" Dr. Reed asked, sitting across from them. Dan and Karen had researched and found one of the best counselors in Tree Hill for Brooke and Nathan to talk to. Dr. Vivian Reed specialized in areas like theirs. Brooke was sitting on the white leather couch, legs crossed, in her "I'm too tired to dress up jeans," and a plain grey t-shirt. Nathan was next to her, one arm around her shoulders, tense as all get out, in basketball shorts and a red polo shirt.

"I don't really know what to say," Brooke whispered, looking at Nathan from the corner of her eye.

"How about this; why don't I start and tell you what I do know and then you can join in and elaborate at any time?" Dr. Reed suggested. Nathan and Brooke nodded their heads as Dr. Reed started.

"Okay, when Dan contacted me, I have to admit I wasn't very surprised. My sister-in-law was your doctor. She comes to talk to me when something like this happens so I had already heard about your daughter. Dan filled in a few more blanks for me such as the isolation, hardly eating, the anger before the funeral, not sleeping very well, and hearing one or both of you waking up screaming. Is that the gist of it?"

"Pretty much," Nathan answered. Dr. Reed could tell that they weren't going to get very far with this first meeting.

"Nathan, would you mind giving Brooke and me a moment to ourselves? Perhaps you could go find the vending machine and get Brooke a soda?" Dr. Reed asked, wanting to get Brooke alone and see if she would open up.

"No way, I'm not leaving her alone!"

"Nate, it's okay. Just go, I'll be fine!" Brooke said, forcing a smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Besides, I am kind of thirsty!" she chuckled. Nathan gave up, sighing in defeat as he left the room and headed to the first floor of the building in search of the vending machines.

"He's very protective of you. I can see how much he loves you," Dr. Reed commented.

"Yes, he does. We've been best friends since we were little kids and we've been together for a while now. It's hard not to love someone that you've been with, in one way or another, your whole life," Brooke replied.

"That's great. That bond is something that the two of you are really going to have to depend on in the future to make it through this. And you will, you know that, right Brooke?"

"No, but I hope we do Dr. Reed," Brooke said, a sad smile coming to her face.

"Please, call me Vivian. And you will, with my help. Now, do you think you can talk about your daughter yet?"

"I can try," Brooke said quietly. Vivian just nodded in reply, setting a box of tissues on the end table next to Brooke in case she needed them.

"Nathan and I weren't together for very long when I got pregnant. It actually happened the first time we had sex. Our friend Haley, Nathan's ex, was already pregnant by my ex, Lucas. By that time, all the anger Nathan and I had towards them was already gone. They were together and happy and in love and pregnant. Nathan and I were finally together and in love and happy.

"When I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. But I knew I had to stay strong for that baby inside of me. I didn't have the best childhood and neither did Nathan so I was determined to give my child the best I could. Nathan was, well, he was very upset. All he knew were his dreams of the NBA and my dreams of my own fashion line were gone the minute we found out I was pregnant. We argued a lot. We broke up. He demanded I get an abortion. I said no. At my first doctor appointment, Lucas was with me. And then Nathan barged into the room, apologizing for being late. After the appointment, he apologized to me for the way he acted and said it didn't matter about out dreams because the only dream he had now was the life he was going to have with me and our child.

"So we got back together. And everything was amazing. Haley was a little further ahead in her pregnancy so it was nice having someone to go to about my symptoms. We had picked out baby names one night for a boy and a girl since we wanted to be surprised. And then came that day. The baby was always very active. It didn't matter what time of day it was, the baby was always moving. So when I stopped feeling any movement, I started to worry but decided to give it another day. If only I had told someone, she might be alive. So two days later, I finally told Haley and she took me to my doctor immediately.

"I could tell Dr. Thomas was worried but she didn't say anything until the ultrasound. When she told me the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck, I thought they could fix it. Then she said the baby was already gone and I would either have to deliver it or wait for labor to come naturally. As much as I didn't want to deliver my dead child, I couldn't stand the thought of it staying inside of me for another week or so. So I said I would do it but it had to be that day.

"When Nathan got there, I lost it. He had just gotten excited about the baby not long before this happened. He had given up his dreams of the NBA for the dream of a family with me. And I couldn't give it to him.

"The labor was rough. I didn't know it would be that difficult. Nathan was great though, stood by my side the whole time holding my hand. When the baby came out and they told us it was a girl, for a moment I was happy. I always wanted a baby girl. But then I didn't hear her cry and remembered that she was dead. Those thirty minutes alone with her before they took her away were the hardest thirty minutes of my life. I don't even know what color eyes she had," Brooke cried. She couldn't believe she was able to get that much out.

"You did great Brooke. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but talking about it is really going to help in the long run. Can you tell me what it was like after you went home from the hospital?" Vivian asked, thankful that Nathan hadn't figured out there weren't any vending machines in the building and hadn't returned yet. They were really getting somewhere now.

"I was angry. And sad. And confused. I didn't know what to do with myself. I would just lie in bed for days at a time. I didn't sleep, I hardly ate. And even then it was only when Nathan's begging me to eat got so annoying that the only way to shut him up was to eat. Any little thing could set me off. Nathan could just look at me a different way and I would be angry. I slapped and hit Nathan more times after we lost Molly than I ever remember hitting someone. I don't know what came over me, but losing Molly just made me so mad.

"My friends didn't know how to be around me. Not that I wanted them around. Nathan and Dan wouldn't let anyone in to see me until the funeral. And even at the funeral, I didn't speak to anyone. I sat in the church and at the cemetery in silence, not looking at anyone. I was afraid that I would lose it if I spoke. So I kept quiet, not wanting to make a scene. But after the funeral, back at Nathan's house, I ended up making a scene. Haley went into labor that day and I don't know why, but it made me so angry. I took it out on her. I yelled at her for going into labor the day of Molly's funeral, like it was her fault, like she meant to just to spite me. It was like I blamed her for being able to still have a baby when I lost mine.

"And then I made up my mind. I couldn't stay here any longer while everyone tried to get me to talk about it. It was like they couldn't understand that it was too hard for me to talk about it. So I found Nathan at the cemetery that night at Molly's grave. I told him I was leaving and he told me I couldn't. He gave me this long speech about how much he loved me and needed me and how much he knew I needed him even if I didn't know it. And in that moment, I knew he was right. I didn't just lose a daughter, _we_ lost a daughter. So I stayed. We moved into his dad's house officially. And then our routine began. And the nightmares began.

"At first, I thought it was normal to have these kinds of nightmares after something like this happens. We would try to sleep at first but the nightmares kept waking us up. Normally I would wake up first screaming, and that would wake up Nate. One night, Dan ran in the room with a baseball bat, thinking we were getting hurt or something, I'm not sure. So finally, we decided to stop sleeping. We started taking turns. One of us would stay awake and if the other person started dreaming, we would wake them up before it got too late.

"And at school, we stayed away from everyone. None of our friends even tried to talk to us. I thought it was kind of weird for them to stay away, but I guess they figured we needed the time alone. Nathan and I had almost every class together. So we would also take turns sleeping in class. The one class we didn't have together is when I had psychology and he had math. A few times I fell asleep in that class and woke up screaming. People kind of shied away from me after that, thinking I was a freak or something. I thought maybe with time it would get better, but it's not. I know I told Nathan that I originally didn't want help.

"But seeing all our friends and family standing in that kitchen asking us to get help, something clicked inside my head. I realized that Nathan and I can't handle this on our own. That most adults can't handle something like this on their own. And as much as we try to act like it, we're not adults yet. We're still, essentially, kids. And I saw how worried they all were over us. I hate to make them worry. So I thought maybe this would be good for us," Brooke explained, amazed at how much better she felt already.

"I think this will be good for you too. Our time is almost up now. I know we didn't really get Nathan to talk and that's okay. I can already tell that this is harder for him than it is for you. It's understandable. A lot of times, the father has a harder time talking about it than the mother. I'm not entirely sure why, that's just how it seems to happen," Vivian said with a slight laugh. "But maybe next week, we can get him to open up. Maybe I can have you go look for vending machines that don't actually exist in this building!"

"Are you serious?" Brooke asked, a smile on her lips, eyes wide in disbelief. Vivian just nodded her head and Brooke started to giggle.

"There are no vending machines in this entire damn building!" Nathan growled, bursting into the room at that moment.

"What's so funny?" he asked at seeing Brooke laughing.

"Nothing Nate. Don't worry about it," Brooke replied. "Our time is up. Let's go home."

"I'll see you two next week, same time?"

"Yeah, that sounds good Dr. Reed. Thanks!" Brooke said, shaking her hand before walking out of the room.

"Is she okay?" Nathan asked in concern for Brooke.

"She's okay right now Nathan. Doesn't mean that everything she talked about might hit her full force later tonight. She did well though. Just try to be there for her tonight, she needs your support just as much as you need hers. And I expect to hear from you next week!" Dr. Reed said brightly, walking him to the door.

"I…uh…I'll….um…I mean, I don't know if…I have to go," Nathan stammered. Dr. Reed just chuckled as he left in search of Brooke. She had seen this kind of case before. She knew it was going to be hard for Nathan to talk about it. But Brooke did extremely well on her first day of counseling. She was able to open up and really start to give Dr. Reed the insight she needed to help her.

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**A/N: So? Like it? Hate it? Let me know!!**


	26. 22: Godmother?

**A/N: Hey guys! I know, I suck at updating! You don't have to tell me! But here is the next chapter for you. It makes me sad to post this because we only have three chapters left, maybe four! I hope you guys like it!**

**Thank you to everyone that has read and reviewed or put this story on alert. And big thanks to Morgan for all her help! Love ya girl!**

**Big news!! I got a friend on OTH Central to make me a banner for this story and for my other one, "All Bets Are Off." The links are below and also on my profile page!! Go check them out, they're awesome!!**

**http://i41 (dot) tinypic (dot) com/ifd2r4 (dot)**** jpg (All Bets Are Off)**

**http://i39 (dot) tinypic (dot) com/2a62hys (dot)**** jpg (In the Beginning) This is just the first banner Lo made me. She made another one for this story with Tim's picture added in, but I don't have the link for it. As soon as I get it from Lo, I'll post it!**

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"So what'd you think about Dr. Reed?" Nathan asked. He and Brooke had just gotten back to the house from the appointment. Nathan was still a little annoyed at Dr. Reed's trick. He really did search every floor and every corner of that building looking for a vending machine!

"I like her. I think you would too!" Brooke replied, walking into the kitchen and setting her purse down on the kitchen counter.

"Hey kids. How was it?" they heard Dan ask from the living room. They walked in to see him hunched over his laptop playing Solitaire.

"Solitaire dad? Really? Don't you have anything better to do with your time?" Nathan joked.

"Funny! But not the point! How was the counseling?"

"I wouldn't know. Dr. Reed kicked me out and had me going from floor to floor looking for non-existent vending machines!" Nathan fumed. Brooke laughed, sitting on the couch next to Dan.

"The eight right there can go on that nine dad!" she whispered, pointing out the move to him.

"Thanks Brookie."

"And Dr. Reed was very nice. I liked her," she commented, looking at Nathan resting in the recliner, "I think for the first time in a long time things are going to be okay!"

"Oh, Peyton and Tim stopped by earlier. I told them I'd let you know when you got home. Maybe you should invite them over! I could start up the grill; maybe cook some steaks or something?" Dan asked, looking from Brooke to Nathan.

"That sounds perfect dad. Thanks. And there's something Brooke and I need to talk to you about," Nathan started.

"Are you pregnant again?" Dan panicked, 'Because I thought the doctor said it would be very difficult to get pregnant again if you ever could!"

"No, I'm not pregnant again. But thanks for that reminder," Brooke said dryly. "No, we wanted to thank you. We all know you weren't the best parent when we were growing up. No offense, and neither was Deb or my parents. But lately, we've watched you become a dad to us. You've not only worked on your relationship with Nathan, and even Lucas, but with me."

"Yeah dad, she's right. I know that lately we've been kind of detached from everyone and we apologize. But both Brooke and I just really want to thank you for being so supportive of us since Molly died," Nathan told him. Dan sat there stunned, tears in his eyes, not sure of what to say.

"Brooke, Nate, thank you. I told you that I wanted to be the father you two deserved. And I really am trying. I'm just thankful that you're giving me a second chance!" Dan said, "Now, why don't you two go call Peyton and Tim. I'll get the grill started. Tell them to bring their suits, you kids could use some downtime, maybe go for a swim in the pool while I'm cooking!"

"That sounds like a great idea! I'll go call Timmy!" Brooke smiled, jumping up from the couch. She quickly kissed Dan on the cheek, then kissed Nathan on the lips before running out of the room.

"Did you see that?" Nathan asked quietly, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"See what?" Dan asked back.

"She smiled. She smiled a genuine smile!" Nathan said, happiness written on his face. Dan smiled, glad that the kids seemed to be getting better. He watched Nathan run up the stairs to his room with pride. He was so proud of those two. He can't even imagine what he would have done if he lost either of them.

"Knock knock!" he heard a voice shout from the front door. He stood from the couch to see Lucas, Haley, and Karen walk in, Lucas holding Mason.

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" he asked curiously.

"Well, Haley and Lucas wanted to see Brooke and Nathan. And, since we've noticed you putting forth an effort to change, we all thought you might like to see your grandson," Karen explained.

"Thank you. This means a lot. Hey Mason, can I hold you?" he asked in a baby voice, taking Mason from Lucas.

"Hello?" they heard Peyton ask from behind them, realizing they left the door open.

"Hey Peyt, Tim, come on in! Nate and Brooke are upstairs." Dan told them.

"Aw, little Scott!" Tim joked, tickling Mason's little stomach.

"Hey Dad, do you have any beach towels down here?" Nathan shouted, running down the stairs. By this time, everyone had walked into the living room and were all standing around.

"Oh, hey guys. What's going on?" he asked nervously. The last time they were all there was for the intervention.

"Peyton and Tim are here to go swimming. Haley, Lucas, and Karen came by to see how you and Brooke were doing. Where is she?"

"I'm right here, sorry, I couldn't find my swim…" she started, walking into the living room and tensing up at the sight of Dan holding Mason.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked, looking from Haley, to Lucas, to Mason, and back to Haley.

"Brooke, we just wanted to see how you were doing. We haven't heard from you in a while," Haley muttered, nervous of Brooke's reaction to Mason being there.

"Haley, take Mason. We'll be right back," Dan said quietly, handing Mason to Haley and trying to escort Brooke into the kitchen with Nathan behind him.

"No, I'm not going anywhere!" Brooke shouted, twisting in Dan's arms to see her friends standing there wide eyed.

"Brooke, come on, let's just go talk in the kitchen," Nathan said calmly.

"No, damn it! Let me go!" she screamed, shoving Dan and Nathan away.

"I'm not some frail little woman! Let me the fuck go!"

"Brooke, calm down!" Peyton said, coming to her side.

"If you could get them to get off me, I would calm down!" she growled through clenched teeth.

"Nate, Dan, let her go," Peyton demanded. Dan and Nathan released their hold on Brooke, but stood close, like they were afraid of what she was going to do.

"Thank you," she said dryly. "Now, before you tried to drag me away like I was some kind of insane, violent, dangerous person, I had something to say." Brooke walked up to Lucas, looking him in the eyes.

"Luke, I'm sorry."

"Brooke, it's okay. You don't have to do this," Lucas whispered to her, glancing behind her at Nathan, who was almost in tears.

"No, I do. Dr. Reed suggested it. Again, I'm sorry. I know we have a complicated history. But I shouldn't have treated you and Haley the way I did after Molly Erin died. I was sad, and angry at myself for what happened. And I took it out on you. So I'm sorry," she whispered, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Brooke Davis, you are one of a kind," he laughed quietly, wrapping her up in a hug. Releasing his hold on her, she turned to Haley and Mason.

"Tutorgirl," Brooke mumbled.

"Tigger," Haley whispered back with a small smile. Everyone stood still watching the exchange.

"I'm so sorry," Brooke sobbed.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. If I were you, I would have done the same thing," Haley told her, handing Mason to Lucas.

"No you wouldn't. You're better than that. I'm not. And I'm so sorry for the things I said to you. I didn't mean them."

"Brooke, I know you didn't. And I am no better than you. In fact, you're better than me. At least you waited until Nathan was single to go for him!" she laughed, attempting a joke. Brooke gave her a strange look as Peyton tried to stifle a giggle.

"Too soon?" Haley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Too soon," Brooke confirmed, nodding her head.

"Sorry! But really, you still have nothing to apologize for. I love you Brooke Davis. And I have something to ask you," Haley said, pausing briefly, "I know you've had a hard time with losing Molly Erin. And I understand that. But, Lucas and I were wondering if you would be Mason's godmother. Nathan is his godfather and you were the only one we could possibly think of being his godmother."

"Godmother?" Brooke choked out, looking at Mason.

"If you need time to think about it, we understand," Lucas told her. Nathan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around Brooke's waist. She stood silent for a few minutes, tears streaming down her face. On one hand, she was still not ready to move on from the loss of Molly Erin. There was still so much healing she had to go through. And counseling. And she didn't want to feel like she was betraying Molly Erin by becoming Mason's godmother. But she really needed the help and support of her friends. And knowing that Lucas and Haley wanted her to be Mason's godmother meant that they believed in her and supported her.

"You won't be forgetting Molly by doing this," Nathan whispered in her ear. She looked up at him in shock, like he was reading her thoughts.

"Brooke, if you're uncomfortable with this, it's okay. We'll understand," Haley said.

"No, please, that's not it. I'm…I mean…well, I don't know if…Of course I'll do it," Brooke stammered, a small smile coming to her face, cheeks turning red in embarrassment.

* * *

"So, Nathan, last week I talked with Brooke. She told me all about her pregnancy and the loss of Molly Erin. This week, I wanted to talk to you about your lives now. Tell me about your daily routine, things you do together, things you do for fun, times you talk. Whatever you think of," Dr. Reed said. It is now a week later, at their second appointment.

"Aren't you gonna ask Brooke to go find the vending machines?" Nathan asked with a smile.

"Sorry about that Nathan," Dr. Reed said quietly.

"It's okay," Nathan laughed, "Not a big deal.

"So, uh, anyways, our daily routine? Well, it's changed a lot in the last week or so. Before we met with you and before the intervention, it wasn't too easy for us. We didn't sleep, and if we did, we both had horrible nightmares. We didn't talk to anyone. And if we did talk to people, it normally ended up in a fight. We hardly touched.

"Actually, we hardly even talked to each other. Unless it was about our nightmares or who was going to stay up so the other could try to sleep. My school work was surprisingly not suffering since I had so much time on my hands from not sleeping."

"And what about now? Are the nightmares still as bad since the intervention?" Dr. Reed asked him. Brooke sat by his side, one hand wrapped around his.

"No, they're not. I um, I don't really know why. But it's like ever since we both agreed to get help, it was like there was this huge weight lifted off our shoulders, at least for me it was. And I felt better about things. I mean, I know we still have a lot to deal with. But it feels like now that we both decided to get help, things are already getting better. Brooke's started sleeping more, so have I. I've only had one nightmare since the intervention. She's only had two. And Haley and Lucas came over with Mason the other day.

"They asked Brooke to be Mason's godmother. They had already asked me to be his godfather the day he was born. But she accepted and actually smiled. And I don't mean one of those bullshit grins she gives people when she's trying to be polite. Or one of those insanely sexy smirks she gives me when she's being a smartass. But a real, honest to God, genuine smile."

"You really love Brooke don't you?" Dr. Reed asked with a smile, amazed at the amount of love this couple had for each other at such a young age.

Nathan glanced over at Brooke for a moment, thinking of all they had been through. He remembered all the times she would cry when they were little because her parents would never come home and he would comfort her with chocolate chip cookies that her nanny helped him make before sneaking up to her room to cheer her up. He could remember in the fifth grade when she had a crush on Tommy Sanders and in front of everyone on the playground Tommy told Brooke that girls were stupid and then pushed her down. He and Tim beat the snot out of Tommy Sanders that day. That was the first time he got suspended from school and it was all worth it as long as he was protecting Brooke. He thought back to eighth grade when Brooke made co-captain instead of captain of the cheerleading squad and would cry before every football or basketball game because of it. And he would get yelled at by his coaches every game because he wasn't warming up, he was letting his best friend cry on his shoulder. He recalled freshman year at one of his parties when stupid Tommy Sanders decided he liked Brooke a little too much and tried to take it too far even after she said no and he once again beat the snot out of him before staying up with Brooke all night as she cried, and then got angry. He also drove over to Tommy Sanders' house the next day with Brooke so she could slap him and punch him in the face and kick him in the balls. He could remember every time he had ever done something for her out of love. Every action he had ever committed towards her or for her was because of how much he loved her.

"I do. I've always loved her," Nathan said quietly while still looking at Brooke.

* * *

NPOV

It's been three weeks since our second appointment with Dr. Reed. It's been a pretty good three weeks. Brooke's only had three nightmares since then. Every other night, she's slept through the night. I had two nightmares since then. They weren't that bad either. I didn't wake up screaming. Actually, I didn't even wake Brooke up when I woke up from them.

We just got back home from visiting our godson. Brooke has become very committed to being the best godmother to Mason she can be. She often visits Haley and Mason during the day. Lucas just got a job working at the car dealership. Dad has him working in the shop right now, which is good for him. He enjoys working with cars. Dad has also made comments about giving Brooke and I jobs there too. He said they need some more help in the shop, and even though I don't know much about cars, he said Lucas can teach me. As for Brooke, supposedly their receptionist is quitting at the end of the month and Dad has offered Brooke that position. We've talked about taking the jobs for a while but we're not sure yet.

I was offered a full ride to Duke and Brooke insists I take it. Her parents called a few days ago and were actually pretty nice to her, even offered to pay her way through college if she chose to go to Duke with me. We're thinking about taking them up on that offer. Lucas and Haley are going to stay in Tree Hill for at least a year while Mason is still young. Lucas wants to transfer to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after a year or two. Haley has no problem following him with Mason. And Peyton and Tim? They're already away. Peyton got an internship this summer at Sire Records in LA. Tim said he couldn't possibly imagine being away from her for an entire summer so he went with her. They're staying in a shabby old apartment close to Hollywood. Peyton is working at the record company and Tim is working at a movie theatre down the street from their apartment for now. When Peyton's internship is over, they're going to join me and Brooke at Duke if we do decide to go. I've got to let the school know by tomorrow if I'm taking the scholarship.

"Nate?" I heard Brooke's voice interrupt my thoughts. I looked up from my spot on the bed to see her walk in the room from the hallway.

"Hey B. What's up?"

"We need to talk. Dad keeps asking if we're gonna work at the dealership."

"Oh, yeah I was just thinking about that. What do you want to do?" I asked her, needing to know what she wanted. If she wants to stay in Tree Hill, then that's what we'll do.

"I think you should take the scholarship. It's your dream to play at Duke. And my parents already said they would pay my way through. Let's go to college Natey," Brooke said, a giant smile coming to her face.

"You sure? I mean, we'll be away from everyone; Dad, Luke, Hales, Mason," I told her.

"Yeah but Peyt and Timmy will be with us! And we can come home on weekends you don't have games. Nate, we have to do this. It's time to move on. I miss Molly as much as you do and I always will. But we can't live in your childhood bedroom hiding from the world the rest of our lives."

"Okay. I'll call the school tomorrow and let them know! We should go up there next weekend, maybe we can find an apartment off campus so we don't have to live in the dorms!" I cheered, getting excited about going to Duke to play basketball.

"Sounds good to me! I think I'm gonna take a shower real quick before bed. I'll be back in a minute!" she said, giving me an idea. I sat on my bed and waited until I knew for sure she was in the shower. Then I quickly stripped down and rushed into the bathroom as quietly as I could. I could see the outline of her body through the shower curtain. As quiet as I could, I pulled back the shower curtain and saw her naked for the first time in so long. I couldn't believe the sight of her. She's gorgeous.

"Nathan!" she shrieked, making me pull my gaze from her body to her face. My cheeks reddened at being caught.

"What are you doing?" she asked as I stepped into the shower. I pulled her towards me, wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her up against my body. Lowering my face to hers, I touched my lips against hers softly.

"I wanted to take a shower with you," I whispered, kissing her again. Pulling away, I grabbed the bottle of shampoo she liked, pouring a small amount into my hands. I lathered up her hair, massaging her scalp as I went, making her moan quietly. We then spent the next few minutes washing each other, kissing here and there, and touching the other innocently when we could.

"That was the best shower I've had in a long time!" Brooke laughed, brushing the tangles out of her hair, her body still wrapped in a towel. I sat on the bed in just basketball shorts, waiting for her to join me. She walked over to the bed, sitting in my lap, arms wrapped around my neck.

"Remember your first talk with Dr. Reed?" she asked and I nodded my head. "Did you really mean what you said?"

I knew exactly what she meant.

"Do you doubt my love Brooke? After all this time, are you still doubting me?" I asked, a bit surprised by her question. She just shrugged her shoulders.

"Brookie, we have been best friends since we were little kids. And we've been together for a while now. After everything we've been through, if I didn't love you as much as I do, I wouldn't still be here with you."

"I know. It's just, I've been thinking about the future a lot. And everything we have wanted is gone now. I just need to know you still want me," she said quietly, feeling a little insecure.

"Okay, you know what? I was actually gonna wait for this, but I can't now. Get up real quick," I told her, standing once she got up from my lap. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out a small box from my sock drawer. Walking back over to the bed, Brooke gasped as she saw the box in my hand.

"Nate," she whispered, a tear coming to her eye as I kneeled in front of her.

"Brooke, I don't ever want you to doubt my love again. I have loved you since we were little kids. And I have been in love with you for a long time. I need you in my life forever. I want you for the rest of my life. So please, will you marry me?"

Brooke just started bawling. Not exactly the reaction I was looking for.

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**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know!!**


	27. 23: Daddy look I'm naked!

**A/N: Hey! So this is the next to last chapter! I can't believe it! I got so excited by all the reviews for the last chapter, I decided to put **_**All Bets Are Off**_** on hold until this story is finished. The last chapter will probably be up next week, and then I'll be back to working on **_**All Bets Are Off.**_

**Thank you to everyone for reviewing the last chapter. They made me so happy! I was going to reply to everyone's reviews, but I didn't get time. I know I mentioned to you guys that I got laid off from my job, but it's not like I have all the time in the world now. My daughter is turning two tomorrow, and she's at home with me now that I'm off work. So I am a full time stay at home mom! **

**Big thanks to Morgan for all your help! Love ya girly!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!**

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Five Years Later:

BPOV

"So, Brooke, it's been a while since we last spoke. How are things going?" Dr. Reed asked me after taking our seats in her office. It's been a year since I've been here, yet I still feel as comfortable as I used to.

"As good as can be I suppose. Nathan doesn't know I'm here," I admitted shyly.

"Why not?"

"I didn't want him to know. We've been doing so well lately. You know it's been five years today that Molly died."

"I thought about that this morning. Is that why you scheduled this appointment?" she questioned. I don't know why I was so nervous. It's not like Dr. Reed is a stranger to me anymore. She's been there for me and Nathan so much since Molly Erin died. She was even a guest at our wedding four years ago. Oh, yeah, did I mention I said yes to Nate when he proposed? We decided to have a yearlong engagement, getting married in this incredible ballroom in Durham. It was my dream wedding that I knew I would have one day. Tim was the best man and Peyton was my matron of honor. That's right; Tim and Peyton got married while they were in LA, surprising us all. Luke was Nate's second groomsmen and Haley was my second bridesmaid. It was a pretty small affair. Dan gave me away. Whitey, Karen, Mason (of course!), Bevin, Mouth, Skills, Fergie, Junk, and a few new college friends we had made were there. My parents paid for the whole thing but were unable to get a flight out of the Caribbean due to some kind of tropical storm down there. Anyway, back to today's topic!

"Actually, no, that's not why I'm here. I visited Molly's grave earlier today with Nathan but told him I had a few errands to run. I, um, I'm a little nervous about this. I'm pregnant again." I told her quietly, almost too scared to say it out loud. I thought for a moment that I would have to write it down.

"That's a good thing isn't it Brooke?"

"I'm not too sure. I mean, after Molly died, my doctor said it would be very difficult to get pregnant if I ever could. But then when the boys came along, they acted like it was a miracle. I mean, for it to be supposedly difficult to get pregnant, and then have triplets, everyone was pretty amazed!" I laughed, still shocked at the birth of my boys.

"Plus, it was a pretty high risk pregnancy. I was going to be high risk no matter what because of what happened with Molly. But since there were three, I was on bed rest for weeks! You even made house calls!"

Dr. Reed laughed at that, remembering those times she came to my house to see me when I was on bed rest with the boys.

"I remember that. And the birth was pretty hard on you too wasn't it?"

"Yeah, incredibly hard. They were born like nine weeks early, in the hospital for over a month before we could take them home."

"And how are the boys doing now? It's been so long since I've seen them!" Dr. Reed said, a frequent guest at our get togethers.

"They're doing great! Almost four!"

"And they're healthy right?"

"Oh, God yes! Healthy as can be!" I smiled at the thought of my boys, with hair like their father's and eyes to die for. Of course, they did inherit the Davis charm and wit!

"Then why do you seem so scared to be pregnant again?"

"I have no idea, to be honest! After Molly died, I was terrified I would get pregnant again. And then when the boys came, and they were so sick when they were born, I didn't know if they were going to make it. I guess I'm just scared that this baby won't make it either, like Molly," I whispered, tears coming to my eyes.

"Brooke, you have three amazing boys at home, and an incredibly supportive husband that loves you. Take a few deep breaths, go home, and tell your boys they're gonna be big brothers. Everything will be fine. Remember what we always say, just take it one day at a time!" Dr. Reed told me, ending our session.

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NPOV

"Nathan? You here?" I heard my dad shout from the front door.

"In the bathroom!" I yelled back, getting splashed by water yet again.

"Grandpa!" one of the boys screamed as my dad walked into the bathroom.

"My boys! What is going on in here?" he laughed, seeing the water and soap all over the bathroom walls and floor, and me.

"We were attempting bath time. Brooke is so much better at this than me!" I said, earning another splash from the boys.

"Okay, here, you take one and get him dried off and dressed. I'll watch the other two!" he offered. My dad has become the greatest grandpa I could have asked for for my kids. Especially since we had such a bad relationship growing up.

"Dominic, Gavin, Kaden, stop splashing your father! Okay, Dom, you go with Daddy. Kaden, Gavin, and I will join you in a few minutes in the play room! Maybe we can talk Daddy into some videogames!" my dad said, a smirk on his face.

"Why, so I can get beat by the four of you again?" I joked, wrapping Dominic up in a big bath towel and carrying him upstairs to his room.

Brooke and I left for Duke five years ago, starting our freshman year of college and planning the wedding. Our sophomore year, we got married in Durham. Our junior year, right after we found out Brooke was pregnant, I blew my knee out at the state playoffs. I tried to do rehab and come back our senior year but it didn't happen. Looking back now, I'm glad it didn't. I had more time to spend with Brooke and the boys. After graduation, we moved back to Tree Hill. Lucas and I coach the Ravens together. Haley is an English teacher. Brooke works part time at my dad's dealership and spends the other half at home with the boys. She had plans to open her own clothing boutique, but life with the boys got too busy. We're planning on saving up to open it in a few years, once the boys start school. Peyton opened her own record label, Red Bedroom Records, here in Tree Hill. Tim works there too. He is, surprisingly, a really good businessman. He handles the business side of the record label and Peyton handles the music side of it.

When we moved back to Tree Hill, Brooke's parents surprised us with a house, in the same neighborhood as my dad, a few streets over. It's a five bedroom so the boys could have their own rooms and a play room.

"Daddy! Look, I'm naked!" I heard Gavin shout from the hallway.

"Gavin, get back here!" my dad shouted after him. I just laughed and shook my head. Gavin always ended up running around the house naked every once in a while.

"Okay Dom, you're good to go. Head on over to the play room, I'm gonna check on Gavin and Grandpa!" I told him, turning for the door only to see Kaden standing in the doorway, still wrapped in a towel.

"What's wrong K?" Dominic asked. Dominic is the oldest of the three, by a minute, Gavin the middle, and Kaden the youngest. Kaden is also the smallest, so the other two always seem to be his protectors wherever we go.

"I'm cold," he whimpered.

"Come on K, let's go find you something to wear that Mommy will approve of!" Dominic said, taking Kaden by the hand and leading him to his room. I just chuckled, seeing Brooke's influence on the boys. I quickly cleaned up Dominic's room before heading down the hall to see my dad and Gavin setting up the WII in the play room. I checked in on the other two in Kaden's room, seeing Dominic help Kaden get dressed in a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a red polo.

"Mommy says she likes it when we wear outfits like this. She says we look like Daddy when he was our age!" Dominic told Kaden, taking him by the hand and walking to the play room together.

"Hello my husband," I jumped when I felt Brooke wrap her arms around my waist from behind. I turned in her arms as she watched the boys from over my shoulder.

"They look just like you when we were that age!" she giggled, making me laugh at her words.

"Where have you been?" I asked her, kissing her lips lightly.

"I went to see Dr. Reed."

"Today? I thought you were running errands!" I said, surprised Brooke lied to me. I wasn't really mad or anything, just kind of shocked.

"Yeah, I needed someone to talk to before I came home to talk to you. And Haley and Luke are in Charlotte with Mason, Emma, and Gracie. Peyton and Tim are over at her dad's place with Jackson, Tristan, Avery, and Sadie. So I went to see Dr. Reed about it," she rambled on.

"Brooke, what are you talking about?"

"I'm pregnant," she blurted our quickly.

"I'm sorry, what?" I muttered, not hearing the boys run out of the play room.

"Mommy!" Dominic and Gavin yelled, hugging her legs.

"What's pregnant mean?" Kaden asked from behind me. I spun around to see him standing behind me clutching onto my dad's hand.

"Maybe you two should take this question. I'm gonna head home. Come by tomorrow and we'll celebrate!" Dan said, kissing Brookes on the cheek, "Congratulations Brookie!"

"Mommy! You didn't answer Kaden's question!" Gavin shouted, tugging on the bottom of her sundress. She knelt down to his level, waving Kaden towards her. She waited until all three boys were in front of her, wrapped her arms around all three of them, and hugged them tight before answering.

"Pregnant means there is a baby in Mommy's tummy!" she whispered to them.

"In there?" Dominic asked, pointing to her stomach.

"Yep! There's a tiny baby growing in there. And in eight months, you three are going to be big brothers!" she cheered. I just stood there watching them, in awe of my family. After Molly died, I wasn't sure if we would ever get here. It took a long time.

* * *

Nine Months Later:

Brooke and I decided not to find out the sex of the baby, wanting it to be a surprise. Haley hated that, saying no nursery should be yellow and green. Brooke and I just laughed at her. Thankfully, her pregnancy wasn't such a high risk one like with the boys. They didn't even put her on bed rest. However, Dr. Thomas did decide to take the baby via c-section, wanting to avoid any complications of a vaginal birth. But we were graced by a beautiful little girl we chose to name Ava Erin, in honor of Molly Erin, her big sister up in heaven.

The boys are now four years old and loving being big brothers. Kaden has even seemed to come out of his shell a little bit. Dominic is still the protector of all his siblings, making sure all three of them are okay at all times and helping out when needed. Gavin is still his crazy self, still running around naked, which makes us all laugh. Kaden is still shy, but not as bad as he used to be before Ava was born. Haley and Lucas were chosen to be Ava's godparents since Peyton and Tim are the boys' godparents. They couldn't be happier for Brooke and me. And the Ravens won another state championship!

Lying here in bed, Ava in her bassinet next to me, Kaden and Gavin wedged between me and Brooke, Brooke squished on the edge of her side of the bed, and Dominic at the end of the bed, all asleep, I couldn't believe my life. I don't know if I've ever been happier. I mean, sure, it was nice when Brooke and I had the bed to ourselves and we didn't hear kids screaming all the time. But I don't think I could give up this life if anyone asked me to. Trying to relax, I thought about the upcoming years. When the boys are seniors in high school, Ava will be a freshman. Mason will already be away at college. The twins, Jackson and Tristan, will be seniors with the boys, as will Emma. Gracie and Avery will be juniors. And Sadie will be a sophomore. Everyone in our little group of friends will have high school aged children, Lucas and Haley having one in college.

Good God, I'm starting to feel old!

* * *

**A/N: So? Like it? Hate it? Press that little button and let me know! Thanks!**


	28. 24: You act like we're doing it!

**A/N: Okay so I lied to you guys. This isn't the last chapter. There will be a short epilogue posted a few days from now! When I finished this chapter, I decided I couldn't end it there. But instead of ending the story with a HUGE AN, I decided to do it on this chapter! So before you start reading, I want to thank you. All of you. Those of you that have stuck with me from the start of this story and stayed with me until now means so much to me. This story was my baby. It was my first multi-chapter story and I can't believe the response I got for it. I have enjoyed writing this story more than you can imagine. I have put my sweat, hard work, and tears into this story. And there are no words that can express how much it means to me that everyone liked it!**

**I have to make a big shout out to a few people really quickly. To Tamarindo, rachtree, and kay0340….You three are so awesome! The three of you have been loyal reviewers since the beginning and have been so supportive. Thank you so much! **

**To Morgan…Girly you have no idea how much you have helped me. I mean it when I say that if it wasn't for you, this story wouldn't exist! You have not only been a beta for me, but you have been a friend. And I love you girly! Can't wait til you come down to Texas next month!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!**

* * *

Fifteen Years Later:

"Jackson Timothy Smith! How many times do we have to tell you that you are not allowed in Ava's room? Get back down here right now!" a voice yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"Damn it Dom! Why do you always have to rat me out to your mom?"Jackson whined, walking out of Ava's room with her following behind him.

"Hey it wasn't me this time! Maybe you're just too dumb to outsmart Mom!" Dominic laughed, meeting them at the top of the stairs. The three of them walked downstairs and into the kitchen, greeting Brooke, Nathan, Haley, Lucas, Peyton, and Tim.

"Aunt B, you act like we're doing it or something! You know we're just best friends!" Jackson defended himself, grabbing a piece of bacon from the plate on the kitchen table.

"Ew, please do not make references to my baby sister doing it! Especially with you!" Gavin joked, taking a seat at the kitchen table before piling his plate full of bacon and eggs.

"Jackson, I know you and Ava are best friends. We all know that. Personally, I think you get a little too defensive about it, maybe there is something going on between you two!" Brooke joked. She filled her coffee cup as the rest of the kids crowded into the kitchen. Jackson, Gavin, Dominic, and Ava were already seated at the kitchen table. Tristan, Emma, and Gracie took their seats at the table as Avery and Sadie sat at the breakfast bar on the stools. The parents all stood around the kitchen sipping their coffee.

"So why is everyone here? Don't yall have to go to work or something?" Tristan joked, looking at his parents and his aunts and uncles.

"Yes, we do. And you have to get to school! So hurry up and eat! Dominic, you drive the boys to school. Emma, you take the girls!" Nathan instructed, placing his coffee cup in the sink, motioning to Lucas and Haley that it was time to leave.

"Wife, I love you! I'll see you tonight," he whispered, kissing Brooke on the lips, "Kids, I'll see you at school. And Gavin, no skipping on the first day again! You too Jackson!"

"Why do our parents have to work at our school?" Jackson whined to Ava, who just laughed at him.

"Aw, Jacky, you don't like it?" she laughed, finishing her food and taking her plate to the kitchen.

"Mom, are you gonna work with the squad again this year?" Avery asked Peyton. Peyton looked from Avery to Brooke and back to Avery before answering.

"Actually, I was thinking that maybe this year we could try out another coach. I'll still help out, but with the record label doing so good right now, I might have to make more trips to LA than we thought."

"What? No! You can't quit! Mom, you know the squad was better than ever last year with you helping," Avery cried, getting upset with her mother.

"I know baby, but I can't help it. Business is doing good now! Besides, we were thinking of having your Aunt Brooke help out!" Peyton cheered.

"Really? That's awesome!" Avery squealed.

"Great, another parent lurking around our school, waiting for us to screw up!" Gavin mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, but Gav, if you didn't screw up so many times in the past, we wouldn't be waiting for you to screw up again!" Brooke chuckled, kissing his cheek, "Now go get your stuff. You guys need to leave soon!"

"Brooke, you do realize that your middle son, the troublemaker as you call him, and my oldest daughter are dating now right?" Tim asked Brooke. She gagged on her coffee at this realization.

"What?" she choked out, looking directly at the direction the two had just gone, Gavin's room.

"Dom, Kaden, did you two know about this?" she asked her other two boys.

"Mom, everyone but you and Dad knew. Gavin said he didn't want to tell you yet. Thanks a lot Uncle Tim! Now I'll have to listen to him bitch the whole ride to school!" Dominic complained, walking out of the kitchen with Kaden, Ava, Jackson, Gracie, Emma, Tristan, and Sadie behind him.

"Dominic Nathan Scott! Watch your language! Gavin Reed Scott, Avery Brooke Smith! Get your butts down here right now!" Brooke shouted up the stairs. The rest of the kids hurried outside towards the cars, not wanting to be caught in the middle of that discussion.

"Mom, we're gonna be late for school! Can't this wait til tonight?" Gavin asked, walking into the kitchen with Avery behind him.

"No, it cannot! When were you gonna tell your father and I about the two of you?" Brooke asked angrily, running a hand through her hair.

"Dad! I can't believe you told her! You promised!" Avery yelled, her eyes shooting daggers at her father.

"Don't blame him for this; blame yourselves! Gavin, this family has always been honest with each other. Why couldn't you tell me? And you do realize that you two are practically family right?"

"Aunt B! That's gross. We're not blood related. That would only be a problem if Gavin dated Emma or Gracie; and that's sick!" Avery grimaced, "Besides, what's it really matter? You dated Uncle Lucas before you got with Uncle Nathan!"

"How do you know that?" Brooke asked in shock, her eyes going as wide as Peyton's and Tim's were.

"Emma found this book in Uncle Lucas' office that he wrote when we were little. It was all about you guys when yall were in high school. We know all about yall!" Gavin told them, smirking at his mother.

"Gavin Reed, get that look off your face. If you think for one minute that you can use that book to blackmail me out of being mad at you, forget it. I played that game long before you did and I'm way better at it. Now go to school; your father and I will talk to you about this later!" Brooke demanded, feeling like steam was blowing out of her ears. Gavin and Avery walked outside, hand in hand, smiling at everyone as they got in the cars.

"Did you know about this book?" Brooke asked Peyton and Tim.

"No, did you babe?" Tim asked Peyton.

"Yeah, um, Haley told me about it one time," she admitted, earning a shocked and frustrated look from Brooke. "Look, it's not a big deal! He never got it published. She said it was just a way for him to remember it all. And it doesn't get too into detail. I mean, it talks about Lucas cheating on you with Haley and then me and Tim hooking up at that party before we got together. And Haley getting pregnant and then the fight you had with Nathan when you got pregnant. He even mentioned me slapping Nathan after we found out you were pregnant!"

"Are you kidding me? So all the kids know about Molly?" Brooke asked, in tears.

"Brooke, all the kids knew about Molly Erin. She was never a secret!" Tim reassured her, rubbing her shoulders.

"No, but Timmy, they don't know everything about her. They just know that she died when she was a baby. They don't know that it was all my fault!"

"Brooke, don't go there. It wasn't your fault. We've been over this way too many times in the last seventeen years! Now come on, dry your eyes. You've got a store to get to!" Peyton said with a smile. Brooke nodded her head, grabbed her purse, and left the house, Peyton and Tim behind her.

* * *

THHS:

"Psst! Jackson!" a voice whispered from behind him. He turned around to see Gavin sitting there.

"Gav, are you even supposed to be in this class?" Jackson asked, laughing.

"No, but that's beside the point! Listen, a few guys from the team are talking about ditching last period and going to the Blue Post for a few drinks. Wanna go?"

"Are you kidding me Gavin? It's the first day of school! And you heard your dad this morning. There's no way we can get away with it with him, Aunt Haley, and Uncle Lucas here. Besides, you're already in enough trouble with your mom about you and Avery!" Jackson told him.

"Mr. Scott, can I help you?" their teacher asked, stopping to stand by Gavin, knowing he wasn't in this class.

"Um, no, sorry, got lost! I'll be leaving now!" he stammered, jogging out of the room and on to his actual class.

* * *

At Lunch:

"Dominic, you need to have a talk with Gavin. He's already talking about skipping!" Jackson told Dominic as they sat down at their lunch table. Just like their parents, all the Scott kids and the Smith kids were the most popular at Tree Hill High.

"Hey! I just mentioned the idea. I didn't say I was gonna do it!" Gavin said, defending himself as he sat down next to Dominic, Avery on his other side. Kaden was next to Jackson. At the next table was Tristan, Emma, Gracie, Ava, and Sadie. They sat at two tables back to back and always turned to talked to each other.

"Gav, seriously, you act more like Uncle Tim than Jackson or Tristan do. You're not skipping. End of story. Got it?" Dominic asked, ever the protector.

"Yes Dad!" Gavin said, saluting him.

* * *

After School:

"I think today was a successful first day!" Haley said as her, Lucas, and Nathan walked to Nathan's car in the parking lot. They rode to school together every day.

"I dunno about that. I caught Tristan making out with some girl in the hallway between classes!" Lucas laughed. Nathan just shook his head. His son Gavin, and Peyton and Tim's twins, Jackson and Tristan, have always been the wild ones. The troublemakers as Brooke called them.

"Hey, so Brooke and I were thinking about having a family barbecue this weekend for my birthday. You guys in?" Nathan asked them as he noticed his oldest, Dominic, smacking Gavin upside the head on the other end of the parking lot as they walked to Dominic's car. Kaden, Tristan, and Jackson were behind them. He looked at the car next to Dom's to see Avery, Sadie, and Ava in the backseat laughing at the boys with Emma in the driver's seat and Gracie in the passenger seat.

"That sounds great! Maybe we can get Mason to come down for the weekend too!" Haley said, missing her oldest.

"Oh, babe, Mason called me earlier in-between his first two classes. He said he can't make it this weekend anyway. Some kind of big meeting for work," Lucas said, not sounding very convincing to Nathan. Haley just nodded her head though.

* * *

That Night:

"How was work B?" Nathan asked his wife as they sat down on the couch in the living room after dinner. Dinner at their house was always a big deal. Since Brooke and Nathan didn't have the best childhood with their parents, they decided to have a sit down dinner at the dining room table almost every night if they could. It was always a loud affair too with three eighteen year old boys and a fifteen year old girl. And like always, after dinner, the kids would retreat to their bedrooms to spend the nights together before they went to bed. Brooke and Nathan felt so blessed to have children that were so close.

"It was okay. Nothing too exciting. You?"

"Well, none of our kids got in trouble the first day! That's always a good thing!" Nathan laughed. Brooke took a sip of her drink and rolled her eyes.

"Actually, that reminds me, we need to talk about your middle son," she started.

"Oh, so he's my son now? When they're good, they're your kids. But if they're bad, they're mine? That's not fair!" Nathan whined jokingly.

"Yes, that's right! And you know why? Because you were the bad boy when we were younger too. So you get them when they're bad!" Brooke laughed.

"Hey, wait a minute! You weren't exactly an angel either! I can remember several times you should have gotten in trouble if your parents would have been around to see it!"

"Okay, besides the point! Did you know that Gavin and Avery are dating?" Brooke questioned him. Nathan's eyes became as wide as Brooke's were this morning when she found out.

"What?"

"Yeah, apparently everyone but us knew about it, according to Dom. He said Gavin didn't want to tell us yet. And when I confronted Gav and Avery, they tried to turn things around on me! I guess their great Uncle Lucas wrote a book about all of us when the kids were younger. Peyton said it was his way of 'remembering it all.' Bullshit. Anyway, so Gavin tried to basically blackmail me into him not being in trouble for lying by bringing up the fact that I dated Luke before you! Can you believe him?" Brooke steamed.

"Well, he is your son!" Nathan jested.

"Oh no! I told you he is your son right now! It doesn't matter anyways. Nathan, he lied to us! What are we going to do?"

"What do you want to do? Lock him up in his room and keep him from seeing her? Brookie, Avery is like family to us. What's the big deal?"

"That's exactly the big deal! They're like family!" Brooke squealed.

"Not blood related though. And they're just kids. It probably won't work out anyways."

"You know that's what people said about us when we were that age!" Brooke reminded him with a smirk.

"Yeah but we've got something that they didn't know about; a love like no other!" Nathan said quietly, leaning over to kiss his wife.

"Gag me with a spoon! Dad, I didn't know you were such a romantic!" they heard from behind them. They pulled apart to see all their kids standing there laughing.

"Gavin Reed, don't think you're getting out of this. I'm still mad that you lied to us!" Brooke said as they all sat down in the living room. Gavin and Kaden sat on the smaller couch, Dominic in the recliner, and Ava on the floor at her parent's feet.

"No, I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you!"

"It's still a lie by omission young man! So here are your ground rules for dating Avery: 1) I don't want to see you hanging all over each other or making out. 2) You are on kitchen duty for two weeks for not telling us. And 3) If you don't treat her like she should be treated, you will have to deal with me and your father. Understood?" Brooke said, earning a slight laugh from Nathan. She smacked him in the chest and he straightened up, wiping the smile off his face.

"Yeah Gavin. You listen to your mother. You never know what she's capable of. Trust me!" Nathan choked out, trying not to laugh.

"Thanks Nate. Make me look like a fool in front of our kids!" Brooke joked.

"That's okay Mom. We already know you're a wuss!" Kaden kidded, making his mother gasp.

"You think I'm a wuss? Alright, that's it, I'm gonna whoop your butts right now!" she shouted, jumping up from the couch at the same time Gavin and Kaden did. For the next hour, the Scott family play-wrestled in their living room floor.

* * *

That Weekend:

"Mom! Dad! Everyone is gonna be here soon for the barbecue! Don't you think you should get out of bed?" Gavin shouted, banging on his parent's bedroom door before opening it.

"Holy crap! I think I'm blind!" he screamed, slamming the door and running into the backyard.

"I can't believe he just walked in!" Brooke said, a little embarrassed at her son finding her and their father in such a compromising situation. She walked into their closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and a red tank top, quickly getting dressed.

"I can't believe you just stopped and got up! I was enjoying our morning!" Nathan complained, grabbing a pair of khaki shorts and a black t-shirt.

"Nate!" Brooke squeaked, feeling Nathan's lips on her neck again.

"Mom, what is Gavin screaming about?" Kaden asked as he walked into his parent's room to see his parents making out.

"Oh, that's gross! Mom, Dad, yall are way too old to be acting like that!" Kaden yelled.

"Old? We are not old! Don't ever say that again!" Brooke shouted with a laugh.

"I'll go start the grill. See you out there," Nathan mumbled as their front door opened, Lucas, Haley, Emma, and Gracie walking in. Luke joined him and the other boys outside as Nathan started the grill. While it was warming up, they quickly started a game of basketball, the teams getting bigger when Tim, Jackson, and Tristan joined in a few minutes later.

"Do you think there will ever be a day that they don't play basketball?" Haley asked Brooke and Peyton. The girls just laughed at her question as they continued chopping lettuce and onions and slicing tomatoes. Emma, Gracie, Ava, Sadie, and Avery congregated in the living room, sharing any new piece of gossip they had heard.

"Hey, you guys need a ninth player?" everyone heard a voice shout from the backyard. Haley, Brooke, and Peyton looked to see Mason on the half court in the backyard being hugged by his father.

"Mason!" Haley screamed, running into the backyard, wrapping her arms around him immediately.

"I missed you so much baby boy!" she gushed.

"Mom! I'm not a baby anymore!" he laughed, hugging his aunts.

"Happy birthday Uncle Nate!" he said, giving Nathan one of those man hugs.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Dan showed up thirty minutes after Mason, Karen right after him. The Scott and Smith families sat down to a birthday lunch for Nathan of hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, coleslaw, and regular salad. After they ate lunch, Karen surprised them with a birthday cake she made herself. And then Nathan opened a few presents. Most of them were normal birthday gifts; a gift card from the Smith family, another gift card from Lucas and Haley's family. From Dan and his three boys, he got a replica of his Ravens jersey from high school, framed, with his boys' signatures on it. From Ava, he got a picture of the two of them from their summer trip to the beach in a frame.

But the best present he got was from Brooke. After he had opened all the other presents, she handed him one last package. Tearing off the wrapping paper, he saw another frame, the picture in the middle not what he expected.

"Brooke, is this what I think it is?" he whispered, not showing anyone else.

"Yeah, it is Nate," she whispered back, a smile on her face.

"You mean you're…?" he stammered.

"I am. I wanted it to be a surprise!" she said, not looking at anyone else.

"Do you know what it is?" Nathan asked her, making all the adults realize what was going on.

"It's twins. A boy and a girl," she said a little louder than before.

"You're pregnant?" Gavin shouted, making his siblings gasp.

"Way to be subtle Gav," Brooke mumbled, "But yes, I'm pregnant. Eight weeks along."

"That's great! Congratulations!" Haley cheered, giving Brooke a hug. Peyton and Tim eyed Nathan from their seats.

"Nate, isn't that great?" Peyton asked, nudging his arm. He snapped out of his trance and looked at them before looking at Brooke.

"Yeah, um, great. Excuse me," he muttered, walking inside the house.

"You've got to be joking me!" Lucas stuttered, watching his brother walk away from Brooke for the second time.

"I'll go get him B!" Tim said, confusing the kids as to what was going on.

"No, it's okay. We're all adults this time. I'll go talk to him," she said, deciding not to back down this time.

"Nathan!" she shouted, walking into the house.

"In here," she heard him say back. She found him in their bedroom, sitting on the floor next to their bed. She sank down to the floor to sit in front of him.

"Nate, are you mad?" she whispered. He looked up at her and she saw the tears in his eyes.

"You think I'm mad? Brooke, baby, no. I'm not mad. Shocked, yes. But not mad."

"Then why did you walk away from me? Again!"

"I'm sorry B. I didn't mean to. I was just shocked. And to be honest, I'm kind of scared. I never showed it, but when you were pregnant with the boys, and then with Ava, I was terrified we would lose them again like we did Molly. I don't want to lose another baby Brooke!" he cried, not noticing his children walk in the room.

"Dad, can we talk to you?" Ava asked, sitting next to Brooke. Gavin, Dominic, and Kaden sat down all around them. He nodded his head, wiping the tears from his face.

"Look, I know Mom told you about Uncle Luke's book. So you know that we know about Molly Erin and everything that happened back then," Dominic started.

"Kids, this isn't the same thing," Nathan said.

"No, we know that Dad. That's what we're trying to tell you. We all read the book. We know how you reacted when Mom got pregnant with our older sister," Kaden told him, "But we also know that you're not that person now. We all know how hard it was for you and Mom back then. We read the book. And Aunt Peyton and Aunt Haley kinda told us some stuff about it too. But Dad, the thing is, you're not that guy anymore. And we know you're scared to lose these babies, like you were to lose us when Mom was pregnant with us."

"But Daddy, we want you to know that it's okay to be scared. And we want you to know that we're here for both of you. We'll help out with whatever you need throughout the whole pregnancy!" Ava said with a smile. Nathan sat up straight and looked at each of his kids before resting his eyes on Brooke. He smiled, bringing a smile to her face.

"We have some great kids Nathan Scott. And these two are gonna be just as amazing," she whispered.

"I think you're right! I love you," he whispered back, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her lips.

"Okay, we might have said we'd be supportive, but if you keep that up, it's gonna make me puke!" Gavin joked, making his parents and siblings laugh.

"We love you too Gav!" Nathan said laughing, hugging his middle son.

* * *

**A/N: So what'd you think? Click the little button and let me know!**


	29. 25: Epilogue

**A/N: So I know it took me a while to get this posted. Sorry about that! I wrote my super long thank you AN last chapter so I will just say a few words! Thank you so much! And please, leave a review. Also, it would be awesome if you would stick with me in my other stories. Go to my profile and check them out! Thanks Morgan! Only seven more days! Lol**

**Disclaimer: For the final time, I do not own One Tree Hill or its characters!**

* * *

Two Years Later:

NPOV

"Do you, Gavin Reed Scott, promise to love and cherish Avery Brooke Smith for as long as you both shall live?"

I watched my son stand at that alter and gaze into Avery's eyes as the pastor asked him that question. I can't believe I'm here. At my son's wedding. To my best friend's daughter. It seems so unreal.

"I do," Gavin answered, smiling brightly at Avery, who was currently trying not to cry.

"And do you, Avery Brooke Smith, also promise to love and cherish Gavin Reed Scott for as long as you both shall live?" the pastor asked Avery.

"I do," she whispered back, a tear falling from her eye. I looked behind Gavin to see my oldest son, Dominic, standing as the Best Man. Behind him, in order, were Kaden, Jackson, Tristan, and Mason. Directly behind Avery was Sadie, her Maid of Honor. Behind Sadie was Emma, Gracie, Ava, and Jana, one of her close friends from cheerleading.

Avery and Gracie just graduated high school a few months ago. Emma, Jackson, Tristan, Dominic, Gavin, and Kaden just finished their first year of college, all choosing to follow Mason to Duke. They all live in the same apartment complex; my boys sharing an apartment, Emma, Jackson, and Tristan sharing an apartment, and Mason living with his girlfriend the floor below them. In August, Gracie and Avery will head up there. Gracie will be taking Gavin's room in the apartment and Avery and Gavin will be moving into their own. Sadie and Ava are a little sad to be losing two more people in their family. But they've already planned to join them at Duke when they graduate high school. And the twins?

Seven months after Brooke told me she was pregnant again, we were blessed with a boy and a girl; Tyler Matthew Scott and Kaelin Makenna Scott. They were only a week early but the birth was hard. I remember after Kaelin was born last, I was pushed out of the room by nurses as everyone started shouting at each other. I heard words like "She's losing blood," and something about Brooke losing consciousness. I was terrified. Our friends tried to comfort me as best as they could. But there was nothing that helped, at least until I got to see Brooke again. Five hours later, I was finally let back in the room, only to see Brooke sitting up in the bed smiling, our twins in her arms. I had never felt as happy as I did then, knowing she was okay and the twins were okay.

"Babe, time for pictures!" Brooke said, nudging my arm, waking me from my daydream.

********

Three hours later, everyone was gathered in the ballroom of the hotel Gavin and Avery chose for their reception. The dinner had been served, cake had been eaten, and bouquet and garder already thrown. Now was the time for everyone to relax and have a good time. The Bridal Party was out on the dance floor, having a good time with their brothers, sisters, cousins, and best friends. Dan and Karen had already gone home, volunteering to take the twins with them and babysit. We all had a feeling that there was something going on with Dan and Karen but were never sure.

I was sitting at a table a few feet off the dance floor, Brooke at my side, Haley, Lucas, Peyton, and Tim all seated around the circular table. I couldn't get the smile off my face as I watched my kids all laughing and smiling together on the dance floor. I looked around the table to see Brooke and our friends all with big smiles on their faces too, watching their children and their friend's children together.

"How did we get here?" Brooke asked suddenly, catching everyone's attention. Everyone was silent for a moment before Time spoke up.

"We drove here B! Remember? We all rode together!" he jested, making everyone laugh and Brooke roll her eyes.

"No Dim! Smartass," she mumbled, "I meant _here_! In our 30s with amazing kids, two of which got married. How did we get to this place and not kill each other?"

Everyone kind of chuckled slightly, but it seemed like we all went off in our own little worlds, remembering growing up together. Flashbacks seemed to fly in front of my eyes, remembering things from our past that got us to this moment.

"_Who would have thought Brooke Davis was this good at pinball?"_

"_I may not have been inside that school, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't there. It doesn't mean that I don't carry that day around with me like everybody else!'_

"_Nathan, this was wrong."_

"_Honestly? It feels like you're dating my brother and not me."_

"_Nathan, it doesn't matter anymore because I love you._

"_Ladies and gentlemen! May I please present to you the new King and Queen of Tree Hill!"_

"_Brooke's pregnant."_

"_You hurt my B. Davis; I will beat your ass!"_

"_Well, I would hope I had my boyfriend and father of that baby to help me! But I guess that's too much to ask."_

"_The father was running late. I'm sorry. Hi, I'm Nathan Scott!"_

"_Say hi to Daddy, Baby Scott!"_

"_She says it's her fault the baby died! She said she deserves to feel this pain!"_

"_Molly Erin Scott, I love you!"_

"_Brooke, please stop shutting me out. I'm hurting just as much as you. I need you right now."_

"_Of course, you would go into labor at my dead daughter's funeral!"_

"_And when you sleep, there is always that moment when you're in a really deep sleep, that you mumble my name and I love it when you do that."_

"_Because, face it Brooke, you've always been everything to me."_

"_Nate, maybe they're right. Maybe we can't do this on our own. Maybe we do need help."_

"_I need you in my life forever. I want you for the rest of my life. So please, will you marry me?"_

"_Daddy! Look, I'm naked!"_

"_Mommy says she likes it when we wear outfits like this. She says we look like Daddy when he was our age!"_

"_Oh, so he's my son now? When they're good, they're your kids. But if they're bad, they're mine? That's not fair!"_

"_Yeah but we've got something that they didn't know about; a love like no other."_

"_We have some great kids Nathan Scott."_

"You girls remember that night Nathan, Tim, and Luke stayed home with Mason when he was a baby so we could have a night out?" Haley asked with a laugh, bringing me from my memories.

"Oh my God, that was hilarious! We get back to your apartment and there is just crap everywhere! Toys, clothes, dirty diapers laying on the coffee table!" Peyton said laughing, making us all remember the first night we babysat for Haley.

"Yeah and these three are all passed out all over the living room, Mason just playing quietly by himself in the playpen!" Brooke said, rolling her eyes at us guys.

"Hey, you two weren't that much better than us!" Tim said, pointing a finger at Peyton and Brooke.

"Yeah, I seem to remember one night after the boys were born, you two said you could handle five babies on your own so Tim and I could go out with the team. And not even two hours later, you were blowing up our phones, asking us to come back home and help you!" I said laughing.

"Hey Nate, remember the night Whitey threw us off the bus back in junior year?" Lucas asked, bringing up the really old memories.

"Ha! That was hilarious! Thing, Thing 1, and Thing 3!"

"Yeah man, he was the third!" Luke joked, making everyone laugh.

"I still think one of the best times was when Peyton broke the board game over Nathan's head that one night!" Brooke told us, making Peyton turn a deep red.

"I was upset, I'm sorry!" Peyton squealed.

"Yeah, I think you almost gave me a concussion that night!" I said jokingly, rubbing the top of my head for more effect.

"Keep talking Nate and see what happens!" she threatened with a laugh.

"Just don't slap him again like you did after Brooke got pregnant with Molly!" Tim said.

"Oh my God, I forgot all about that!" Peyton said with wide eyes. Everyone joined in their laughter. After a few more minutes of going down memory lane, the DJ announced that it was time for the father/daughter dance. Tim stood from his seat and joined his daughter out in the middle of the dance floor. Gavin came and sat in Tim's seat that was next to Brooke's.

"You ready for our dance Mom?" he asked, watching Avery dance with her father to "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

"You know I'm gonna cry right?" Brooke asked, a tear coming to her eye.

"That's okay," he mumbled, not taking his eyes off Avery.

"Hey, you never did tell me what song you picked for our mother/son dance!" Brooke said quickly as Avery and Tim were walking off the dance floor. Gavin stood, grabbed his mom's hand, and ushered her to the dance floor with a smirk on his face.

"It's a surprise!" he said with a laugh right before the song began.

"Oh my God!" Brooke mumbled in embarrassment, her head falling to Gavin's shoulder as Clay Walker's song "'Fore She Was Mama," began.

'_Bout ten years old, hide and seek  
I found me in the closet  
Ready or not I stumbled on  
And opened up that box of  
Yearbooks, letters, black and whites  
A hundred, maybe more  
Next thing I know my brothers and me  
Got 'em scattered on the floor (Yeah)_

Everyone at our table and all our children started laughing as they clapped and shouted for Brooke and Gavin.

"I can't believe you chose this song! It's embarrassing Gav!" Brooke whispered, a slight blush coming to her cheeks as she saw us cheering for them.

"It's perfect for us Mom!" Gavin laughed. The song isn't a slow song, but for some reason, Gavin decided to keep dancing slow with his mother. It fit somehow.

_There was one of her, flippin' the bird  
Sittin' on a Harley  
And a few with some hairy hippie dude  
Turns out his name was Charlie  
Her hair, her clothes, her drinkin' smokin'  
Had us boys confused  
I'll never forget the day us nosey kids got introduced_

To Mama, 'fore she was Mama  
In a string bikini, in Tijuana  
Won't admit she smoked marijuana  
But I saw Mama, 'fore she was Mama

"That is so Brooke!" Haley laughed as Lucas whistled at them. I just sat back in my chair and watched them while listening to the lyrics. The song did fit them. It was pretty funny if you ask me!

_We put that box right where it was  
And never said a word  
But growin' up got hard just tryin'  
Not to picture her  
In anything but aprons, dresses  
Mini-vans and church  
Oh and Daddy would have whooped our butts  
For diggin' up that dirt_

On Mama, 'fore she was Mama  
In a string bikini, in Tijuana  
She won't admit she smoked marijuana  
But I saw Mama, 'fore she was Mama

"I have never been to Tijuana!" Brooke shouted from her spot on the dance floor. Of course, the entire ballroom erupted into laughter.

_We laugh and hang it over her head  
Right above her halo  
Her face turns red when we bring up  
That tie-dyed Winnebago  
She runs and hides and still denies  
That hip high rose tattoo  
She burned that box of forget-me-nots  
When she found out we knew_

About Mama, 'fore she was Mama  
In a string bikini, in Tijuana  
Won't admit she smoked marijuana  
But that was Mama, 'fore she was Mama

And there's that one down in the Bahamas  
But that was Mama, 'fore she was Mama

As the song finished, Gavin twirled Brooke in a circle before leading her back to our table. Brooke quickly took her seat next to me while Gavin grabbed his wife's hands and lead her back to the dance floor.

"I can't believe he did that!" Brooke muttered, taking a sip of her wine.

"The look on your face was priceless!" Peyton giggled.

"You looked great babe!" I whispered in her ear as we turned to watch Gavin and Avery dance together again. They had already done their first dance to Keith Urban's "Making Memories of Us," but Gavin said he wanted to have another first dance with her, surprising her with the song he chose. The opening chords to "When You Say Nothing At All," by Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss came on. I looked over at Brooke to see tears springing to her eyes. This was our first dance at our wedding. Gavin caught my eye and waved at me. I nodded my head, standing and leading Brooke to the dance floor. And few moments later, Peyton and Tim and Haley and Lucas joined us.

I'm not gonna lie, none of us were ever really fans of country music. But when Brooke and I were going through our hard times after Molly Erin died, we heard this song and it made so much sense to us. The chorus;

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
There__'__s a truth in your__ eyes sayin__'__ you__'__ll never leave me__  
The touch of your hand says you__'__ll catch me__ if ever I fall  
You say it best when you say nothing at all_

Speaks the truth about our relationship. We've known each other for so long that we can read each other like that. Looking deep into Brooke's eyes as she searched mine for words we didn't need to say but chose to anyways.

"I love you Nathan Scott," she whispered.

"I love you too Brooke Scott," I whispered back, leaning down to capture her lips with mine.

"To the moon and back," we whispered together.

* * *

BPOV

So now you know why I said it was a long, winding road of heartache and betrayal. But we made it. We survived our youth. It was hard, and unhappy, and tears, and broken hearts, and guilt, and regret. But I get it. That's what youth is all about.

It's tears and shouting, music and love, sex and fear, broken hearts and alcohol, messy and sad, beautiful and scary, all rolled into one. All we were ever trying to do was survive it. I think we did a pretty damn good job.

* * *

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know! **

**And one more quick note! In about a week or so, if you have this story on alert, you will get an email saying it was updated. Don't ask any questions, just click the link for it and check out the surprise I have in store!**


	30. Bonus: Telling Brooke

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's your surprise! A few readers expressed in reviews that there were a few scenes that they wished I would have added in the story. So I decided to do that! I've got a few planned out. If there is anything in particular you would like to see, let me know! The next one will be up soon. Thanks!**

* * *

"Nathan wait!" I heard Peyton shout from behind me. I ignored her as I ran to the parking lot, searching for Brooke. Through all the anger and shock of finding out my girlfriend and my brother have been sleeping together I was only worried about one thing: Brooke. It's funny how something as fucked up as this can make you realize the truth.

Running through the hallways in search of my best friend, I realized what had happened. Somewhere between all the fights with each other or Luke or Haley; somewhere between all the partying and drinking; somewhere between tall the baskets made and the cheers yelled I fell for her. My best friend. The one person that was always by my side no matter what.

I slammed through the school doors, not hearing footsteps behind me. Maybe they gave up the chase. Gazing out to the parking lot, I saw her sitting on the hood of Peyton's car still, head in her hands. I ran forward. About five feet away I stopped. I knew she heard me running up to her yet she didn't move at all.

"Brooke," I whispered. She wiped her eyes, whispering "Nathan," back at me before looking up. Even with tears and mascara staining her cheeks she was still beautiful. I almost forgot what I had come to say, tempted to blurt our "I love you."

"Lucas broke up with me." She said quietly.

"Luke's been sleeping with Haley," I said, deciding to do this like ripping off a band aid, the quicker the better.

"What?" she asked, eyes wide with shock, sliding off Peyton's car to stand in front of me.

"Please tell me that's some kind of sick joke Nate."

"I wish it was, but no. Mr. Harris caught Luke passing Haley a note in class and read it out loud. Trust me, I'm just as shocked as you are!" I said, gathering her in my arms. She pulled back immediately, still in shock.

"Wait…what…I mean how…you…she," she stammered, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Before I could say anything, the tears started falling again. I once again pulled her into my arms, the tears now soaking my shirt.

"It's okay B. You've still got me. We'll figure this out. I promise you," I mumbled into her hair.

"I hope so Natey. Because I can't figure this out all by myself. I need you."

"I need you too Brooke. Always have and always will."

She took a deep breath, ready to reply when we heard the school doors open and slam shut behind me.

"Brooke!" Peyton yelled, running to meet us, enveloping Brooke in a hug. Brooke laid her head on Peyton's shoulder and cried for a moment before snapping her head up to glare at the two people standing by the school.

"Brooke, don't," I muttered, grabbing her upper arm as she shrugged out of Peyton's arms.

"Let me go Nate," she said angrily, ripping her arm from my grip.

"You! How dare you! You were supposed to be my friend and help me get through to my boyfriend! But you were just hooking up with him behind my back! Behind Nathan's back! You bitch!" Brooke yelled, pulling her arm back to slap Haley. Before she made contact, Lucas grabbed her arm, stopping her.

* * *

**A/N: So there it is! You all know what happened after this. Like it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	31. Bonus: Dan and Nathan

**I wasn't ready for it to be over...**

**

* * *

**

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon. Brooke was in their room taking a nap. Nathan decided to head out back and play some ball. It was the first time he had even held a basketball since Molly Erin died. After making his third free throw in a row, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw his dad, Lucas, and Tim walking outside.

"What is this? Is that my son holding a ball?" Dan asked with a smile.

"Very funny Dad! I just thought I'd see how bad I suck!" Nathan attempted to joke.

"Well let's find out little brother!" Lucas said, stealing the ball from him, "You and Dan, me and Tim, game to eleven!"

Nathan smiled, taking his hoodie off and laying it on a chair, careful to keep the item in the pocket hidden.

"You're on!" he said, getting ready to block Luke.

"Looks like you and your old man still got it!" Dan cheered as they won 11-10 at the last second. The boys all sat on the driveway, sweating from the game. After a few minutes, Tim broke the silence.

"So how's B doing Nate?"

"She's okay. Getting stronger everyday. And worrying about college. She hasn't said anything but I can tell she is," he replied.

"Have you decided if you're gonna take Duke's offer?" Dan asked him. Nathan sat still for a moment, contemplating how to answer.

"Brooke and I need to do some talking before I can answer that," Nathan said quietly.

"Talk about what? It's Duke! It's your dream school offering you a full ride basketball scholarship!" Tim exclaimed.

"Actually, it's not about Duke. Brooke's already told me once if I wanted to take it, she would go with me," Nathan told them.

"Then what's there to talk about?" Lucas asked.

"I'll show you," Nathan grinned, jogging over to his hoodie and taking out the small velvet black box from the front pocket.

"Holy shit!" Tim gasped when he saw it.

"I'm gonna ask her," Nathan said smiling, opening the box to show them the ring. Lucas, Tim, and Dan all stood to look at it.

"That's awesome Nate!" Lucas cheered, slapping his back.

"Nathan, are you sure son?" Dan asked as Nathan closed the box.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's Brooke!"

"Yeah but son, you just finishd high school. You're getting over the loss of Molly still. You don't wanna wait a few more years?"

"Dad, for once, this isn't about Molly. Yes, we lost her. Yes, it still hurts. And yes, I still miss her, I always will. But this is about me and Brooke. My entire life, whether I realized it or not, has always been centered around her. I don't care if we're still young. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. So, yes Dad, I'm sure. And you of all people should know that!" Nathan explained, becoming passionate over his feelings for Brooke. Dan and Nathan stared at each other for a minute or two before Dan smiled at his son.

"You're right Nate. I'm so proud of you son," Dan said, hugging Nathan.

"Dad, stop," Nathan complained, pushing his father away.

"No, I'm serious Nathan," Dan replied, "When you and Brooke lost Molly, I wasn't sure what would happen to the two of you. But I am so proud of the way you have worked to help Brooke through it all. And how strong you've become. Nothing would make me happier than for Brooke to officially become a Scott!"

"Thank you Dad," Nathan smiled, "Thanks!"

Father and son embraced one more time, whispering a quick 'Love you,' to each other for the first time in a long time.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! Hope you like this one! There is one more I'm about to post. Then I'm gonna go back to work on All Bets Are Off and Sick Sad Little World. Oh and I wanted to point out something funny for anyone that's interested. If you go back and read the first chapter of this story, it says that Brooke is the mother of Nathan's two kids! Obviously I wrote that before I had the idea of them having six kids! lol...I thought it was funny! **


	32. Bonus: The wedding

The lights had been dimmed, the food eaten, the cake cut, the champagne toasted, speeches made, garter and bouquet tossed. All the traditions had been completed. Most of the guests had already gone home. Just four friends and two parents remained watching in awe od the couple on the dancefloor.

Never had there been a couple more deserving of this night; to be able to stand in front of their entire world and pledge their commitment to each other after everything they had been through.

_It__'__s amazing how you can speak right to my heart  
Without saying a word you can light up the dark  
Try as I may I could never explain  
What I hear when you don__'__t say a thing_

"They look so happy!" Haley gushed, eyes brimming with happy tears.

"They are happy. Finally," Tim said, hugging his wife close to his side.

"It's finally their time for happiness!" Peyton replied.

"They deserve it!" Lucas said, smiling at his brother and new sister-in-law.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
There__'__s a truth in your eyes sayin__'__ you__'__ll never leave me  
The touch of your hand says you__'__ll catch me if ever I fall  
You say it best when you say nothing at all_

"I love you B. You know that right?" Nathan asked with a small smile.

"Mmhmm. But you can say it again if you want!" Brooke said, her smile beaming.

"I love you!" Nathan told her, chuckling as he said it, making Brooke giggle.

_All day long I can hear people talking out loud  
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd  
Old Mr. Webster could never define  
What__'__s being said between your heart and mine_

"Did you ever think they would be here one day?" Karen asked Dan as they sat a table in the back watching Brooke and Nathan.

"Oh God yes!" Dan answered, laughing, "I knew back when they were five and Brooke would sneak chocolate chip cookies upstairs to Nathan when she thought no one was watching!"

Karen and Dan laughed at the memory as they continued to watch the two dancing.

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
There__'__s a truth in your eyes sayin__'__ you__'__ll never leave me  
The touch of your hand says you__'__ll catch me if ever I fall  
You say it best when you say nothing at all_

"So I've been thinking," Brooke started.

"About what?"

"I know the doctors said it would be difficult to get pregnant again, if I ever could," she whispered.

"But?" Nathan asked, wondering where she was going with this.

"But, I thought maybe within a year or so we could try again," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"Brooke," Nathan whispered, tilting her chin up to look at him, "Are you sure?"

Brooke just nodded her head slowly. Without answering her, Nathan leaned down and captured her lips with his.

"Is that a yes?" Brooke asked hesitantly.

"Yes Brooke Davis, that's a yes!" Nathan laughed.

"Hey! That's Brooke Davis Scott to you!"

_The smile on your face lets me know that you need me  
There__'__s a truth in your eyes sayin__'__ you__'__ll never leave me  
The touch of your hand says you__'__ll catch me if ever I fall  
You say it best when you say nothing at all_

"I love you Brooke David Scott," Nathan whispered against her mouth.

I love you too Nathan Scott. To the moon and back!" Brooke whispered back before kissing him.

**A/N: SO what'd you think? There might be a few more bonus chapters left in me. I have a super cute one planned out with the triplet boys. I just have to write it. Stay tuned for it! **


	33. HUGE UPDATE

Hello again! How has everyone been? It feels like it's been forever since I was on the site! I can't believe it's been over a year since I've posted anything. But I did tell you guys that when I finished _In the_ _Beginning_ and _All Bets Are Off_ that I was going to take some time off.

Well, I did just that! It was nice! I've been able to spend a lot of quality time with my daughter, who is 5 now! I've also started a new job a few months ago that I LOVE! And we moved back to Houston, closer to my family. So life is going pretty good. But I do have a reason for this, other than just to tell you how good everything is going….

First of all, sometime in the near future, _In the Beginning_ will be taken off of the website. Not right away, but eventually. I am in the editing process and hope to try to submit it for publishing within a year. So if anyone wants to read it again, I'd suggest doing so now!

Second of all, during the last year I have come to realize that I've missed the website and all of my fabulous readers! So this is to let you guys know that I will be coming back to the site soon! I've got a few ideas for some new stories, as well as some ideas for my unfinished stories already on the site, specifically _Back To Where It All Began_, _You're Next_, and _It's Perfect_.

I hope everyone is as excited as I am! If you're not already, please subscribe to follow me as an author so you can receive my story updates when they come out. But be prepared, just because I'm telling you this does not mean I'm going to update today or tomorrow. It might still be a few weeks. But they are coming soon!

I love and miss all my amazing readers and can't wait to hear from you soon!


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